Eye of the Beholder
by lovelovelove22
Summary: One passionate night together turns into something that will bind two perfect strangers, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, together for the rest of their lives.
1. Chapter 1

**I just can't stop writing, guys! I have…hmm, about four (?) stories going right now but I just couldn't hold back with this one anymore. I've had it written down for about a month now, so I finally decided to type it all up and upload it to fanfic. And as always, my readers are always so amazing and I appreciate all the reviews that they leave. So please review, and understand that I will not be able to update every single day or every week, but whenever I can get a chapter out.**

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"_Call me if you ever want to get together again. I'll leave you my number."_

His words echoed in my mind as I frantically searched through my apartment for that one little piece of paper. My mind was absolutely reeling and I couldn't think straight. It had been a little over a month since I had last seen Edward, and I wondered how he would react to me calling him. He had left his number with me after a one night stand…that had to count for something. But oh…who was I kidding? He had left his number so that he could have a fling with a woman, that was all. Other than his first name and the fact that he preferred boxers over briefs, I knew nothing about him. I knew nothing about his job, or his family, and I didn't even know his last name.

I also don't even know how the whole thing happened. 'That night', I had just been dragged out to a bar by my best friend Angela and I had been minding my own business when a gorgeous, oddly familiar man with crazy auburn hair and haunting green eyes had approached me. At first, things had been pretty innocent. We exchanged names and talked briefly before Edward bought me a drink. And then another, and another and another…and then the next thing I knew, I was in his car, and then we were in my apartment, and I woke up the next morning, naked and in bed with him.

While I had been embarrassed, even ashamed, of my poor choices the night before, Edward had seemed totally unfazed. After asked to us my shower and getting dressed, he had offered to buy me breakfast. I had declined, blushing profusely and clutching my sheets around my unclothed body. And that's when those words had been spoken.

"Call me if you ever want to get together again. I'll leave you my number."

It took me another ten minutes, but I finally found the note, crumpled up into a ball and shoved inside the pocket of my old bathrobe that I hardly wore. Smoothing out the note, I set it down on my kitchen table and stared down at it. The note read, quite simply,

_Edward, 555-4591_

After taking a deep breath, I picked up the phone and dialed the number. As the phone rang, I fiddled with my bracelet, terrified. Even if Edward did answer, I had no idea what he would say or do or how he would react when I told him that I had taken a home test and was pretty sure I was pregnant. He had seemed nice enough, but it had been one drunken night together; I'm sure he wasn't expecting this, just like I hadn't. But he did answer the phone, and his voice sounded just as silken and beautiful as I remembered it to be.

"Hello?" After he answered, it took me a long moment to find my voice. "Hello?" He asked again, sounding confused now.

"Um, hi Edward." I finally spoke, my voice cracking. "It's Bella." There was a moment of silence. "From the bar in LA…about a month ago." I added quickly, hoping that he would remember me. "Remember?"

There was another short silence, but Edward spoke again. "Oh, Bella. Of course I remember you. What's up?" He was so simply casual and at ease that it made me wonder how often he found himself in situations like this one.

"Well…I was wondering if we could maybe meet up somewhere. This afternoon?" My voice cracked again and I must have sounded overeager, but I was trying to remain cool and calm despite of what my instincts were telling me. I was _pregnant_ with a man I didn't even know.

"Sure." Edward spoke easily, which I envied. "Where do you want to me up? Your place? A hotel?" At those words, I clenched my jaw tightly. He thought that this was simply a booty call? I forced myself to calm down, though, because there was no way that he could have known my birth control would fail, no way to know what I was going through.

But I was terrified, and I knew that I needed to tell him. "No." I spoke firmly, answering his question. "Can we meet for _lunch_?" I specified, trying to subtly tell him that I did not want sex.

Edward paused for a moment _again_, but quickly agreed to meet me at a nearby café in forty five minutes. After hanging up the phone, I wasn't really sure of what to do. What should I wear? How should I do my hair? I didn't want to give Edward the wrong idea, but I had to admit that I _did_ want him to at least find me attractive. After I got myself together and looking presentable, I gave myself a little pep talk and then headed out the door.

I got down to the café ten minutes early, so I sat down at a table in the very back of the café and ordered two cups of coffee. As the waitress asked me how I wanted the coffee, I wanted to cry. This was ridiculous…I had slept with this man and I didn't even know how he took his coffee…or even if he liked coffee at all. How am I going to do this? I made one mistake, and know I'm pregnant and I'm going to be alone. After I sat alone for a few minutes, I saw Edward come in through the door, wearing a knit cap pulled low over his hair and a pair of dark ray bans. At first I couldn't tell if it was him, but his mussed hair was a dead giveaway.

When I saw him, my heart started pounding like crazy. He was wonderfully good looking. I couldn't believe that he had even approached me that night…let alone gotten me drunk and gotten me pregnant. Today, he was wearing dark wash jeans and a faded green tee shirt, plus the hat and sunglasses. Luckily, he caught sight of me right away and headed towards me, ducking his head as he weaved around the other tables. "Hi." He murmured, sitting down across from me gracefully.

"Hello." I said, blushing when my voice cracked. Clearing my throat, I pushed the cup of coffee I had ordered for him over to his side of the table. "Uh, I ordered you some coffee." I said lamely, pushing my hair out of my eyes. "But, um, I didn't know how you take it…"

"Black is just fine." Edward assured me, picking up the paper cup and taking a large sip. "I have to say, I was a little surprised to hear from you." Edward admitted casually, playing with his coffee stirrer. "What did you want to talk about?" He asked, propping his elbows up on the table and resting his chin in his hands. He had taken of his sunglasses and his green eyes, framed by thick eyelashes, sparkled at me. But as he looked at me, I knew that I could no longer be distracted by his good looks, and that this was the moment that I had been dreading. All I could think of was how Edward would take the news.

Taking yet another deep breath I looked Edward in the eye and decided that I just needed to spit it out and get it over with. "Okay, look, I really don't know how to tell you this so I'm just going to say it straight out." I blinked furiously, not wanting to start crying. "I took a pregnancy test, and it was positive." I said in a low voice. Edward stared at me, his jaw dropping and his widening.

He looked around like he was making sure no one heard what I had said, and then looked back to me. "You can't tell the media." He said firmly, making me narrow my eyes in confusion.

_Tell the media? Why the hell would I tell the media that I was pregnant after a one night stand._

And then it hit me. Why he looked so eerily familiar. Why his voice was so familiar as well. My he was wearing his hat down so low, and why he had been wearing sunglasses when it was cloudy grey outside. As our eyes met once more, things all clicked into place.

This was Edward Cullen.

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**Hmm…what's going on? Please review! The more reviews I get, the more I update!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. I'm so blown away by your reception of this story. It's only been one chapter and we've had over three hundred hits/views, 52 alerts, and 25 favorites. Thanks so much, I am glad that the storyline intrigued you. But I need to tell you something straight out:**

**This story is not going to be fluffy, at least not at the start. It will be a rocky story line, and it will take time and development for things to fall into place. If you have any questions, please either review or PM me.**

**Oh, and please go vote in the 'Cougar Revolution' Contest! I can't tell you what entry is mine, but go and vote anyway! **

**http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2230877**

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"I…what…" I stared at Edward with wide eyes, totally disbelieving. How had I not realized how he was? Edward Cullen was one of the most famous actors in Hollywood, and his face was _everywhere_. I couldn't believe that over the span of this last month and a half, I hadn't seen him somewhere, especially since I lived in Los Angeles. But then again, I had kind of sequestered myself in my office and thrown myself into work because I had actually been ashamed of myself.

Sex was not something I had ever taken lightly. I had always believed that it was special, and something that should only be shared with a special partner. But I had given myself so easily to a man that I didn't know, and I was embarrassed by that. Because that wasn't the kind of person I was.

Edward and I continued to stare at each other, and I was openly gaping at him, scared shitless. Because this was no longer just between the two of us. I wanted Edward to be involved in his child's life, but that meant that the entire world was going to know about me and Edward and our relationship. I didn't want that. I was just a simple, plain, book editor living in Los Angeles. That was all there was to me. I wasn't special in any way, and I couldn't believe that Edward had even gone for me that night. What was special about me?

"What do you want?" Edward asked in a low voice, and I looked up at him in surprise.

"I want you to _be there_. For both of us." As I spoke, I absentmindedly put my hand on my stomach. Edward's eyes followed my hand, and he swallowed thickly, closing his eyes briefly.

When he opened his eyes again, his green eyes were dark, cloudy, and hard to read. "Bella…I need to know that this baby is mine before I do anything at all, okay. It's not that I don't trust you, it's because I don't even know you." Edward sighed, rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand. "You told me you were on birth control. Were you lying?" He asked me, his voice low and hard to hear.

"I wasn't lying." I said, my voice equally quiet. "Birth Control is on 98% effective, even when you take it perfectly." I informed him. I didn't want him to think that I was trying to _trap _him based on his celebrity status. Because I didn't want that. I wasn't expecting for him to sweep me off my feet and turn me into the princess. I was only a little over a month pregnant and I was already trying to figure out how well I could manage to support this child on my salary. I need Edward, whether he and I like it or not. "Can we go somewhere else to hash out the details?" I asked, my voice pleading.

He stared at me for a moment longer before nodding and standing up, holding his hand out to me as well. I looked at his hand in surprise for a moment, but then accepted it and slid my hand into his. I was stunned at how well we continued to fit together, even in a tense moment like this one. We threw our empty coffee cups away and then headed for the door, and I watched Edward out of the corner of my eye as he slid his sunglasses back on and looked around suspiciously as we exited the café.

"My apartment is just down the block." I said timidly, stunned that Edward was _still_ holding my hand. "Do you want to go there?"

"Sure." Edward murmured, glancing over his shoulder again. "Lead the way." He said, and we set off down the street. I continued to watch Edward as we walked, taking in the way he walked. Edward had a very confident vibe, but he was walking with his head hung low and his eyes trained on the ground. His hands were soft and large, but his thumb was twitching nervously against my own hand.

We walked to my apartment building in silence, and Edward released my hand once we got inside the building and entered the elevator.

I couldn't help but the remember that the last time we were together in this elevator, we had been kissing feverishly and couldn't keep our hands off each other. I continued thinking about that night until Edward cleared his throat and I snapped out of it, blushing as Edward looked down at me with a slightly amused smile on his face. "Come on." I finally said, clearing my throat too and staring straight ahead as we got off the elevator and walked down the hallway.

As I unlocked the door to my apartment, I was hyper-aware of how good it felt to have Edward standing next to me, his hand resting on the small of my back. "Do you want something to eat or drink?" I asked, trying to remain polite as I led him into the apartment. I turned around to face Edward, but he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Why don't we just talk about this?" Edward said, and I nodded, sinking down onto the couch. Edward hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to me. "I think I'm going to need you to get a paternity test." He said slowly, as if he was racking his brain. "I'm not going to give you anything until you do." As Edward spoke, he stared down at his Converse, wringing his hands as he did so.

"Um…okay." I said slowly. "I guess I could ask my doctor about it."

Edward shook his head, running one of his hands through his hair. "You can get a Chorionic Villus Sampling test done between the eighth and thirteenth week of pregnancy. That will take care of the paternity test." I was silent and raised my eyebrows, offering him a small smile when he finally looked back up at me. "I was premed in college before I switched over to acting." Edward explained with a small smile.

"Oh." I said in surprise. "Um, when? How old are you?" I blurted out, blushing. But it seemed like a logical question to me.

"I'm thirty two. How old are _you_?" Edward asked, and I paused for a moment, not believing that he could be thirty two years old. He looked so young, like he was in his early twenties.

"I'm twenty five." I said softly, tilting my head up and looking at him. "Hey, um, what exactly is Chorionic Villus Sampling? It's not dangerous, is it? Because I refuse to do anything that will hurt the baby." I said, struggling to keep my voice steady.

Edward gently put his hand on my knee, a reassuring gesture. "It's not dangerous." He assured me. "The doctor will just insert a catheter through the cervix and a sample will be taken." His voice was so simple and self assured. "It's just as accurate as Paternity tests done after the baby is born." I nodded after his explanation, twisting my hands on my lap. I just didn't know what to do. "Bella, I want to come to the first ultrasound, okay? No matter what. Will you call me, please?"

"Of course." I said, clearing my throat. Edward smiled at me briefly, and then his face became serious again, his jaw clenched slightly.

"Actually…why don't we go to lunch next week?" Edward proposed, and I stared at him in confusion. I didn't need this from him. I didn't expect him to try and make an effort towards us being together. "Bella, no matter what, I just want to know you, okay? I know that we didn't exactly straight our relationship like normal people do, but I do think that you're an amazing woman."

I blushed, gazing into Edward's eyes. "That would be nice." I said softly, clearing my throat. "I…I would really like that." And that was the truth. Edward seemed so _sincere_, even though I didn't know him hardly at all. I understood why he was so suspicious of me. I'm sure there are a lot of women in the world who would have taken advantage of this situation. But what surprised me most was that Edward had even been in the bar. He was probably the most famous person around…what had he been doing, slumming in that crappy downtown bar?

I had so many unanswered questions, and I hated that I couldn't muster up the courage to talk to Edward about these things. But we were at fault.

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**So, like I said, things are going to be awkward and tense for a little while. Wouldn't you be?**

**Please review and tell me what you thought!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well look at this! In honor of my wonderful readers, you are getting a chapter from EPOV. I hope you enjoy it…I'll see you on the other side. Now, Edward is wordy. He has a lot of thoughts too, so there won't be an excess of dialogue. But you'll get a glimpse of what's he's a thinkin'! **

**So, once again, EPOV!**

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It wasn't something that I normally did. I try and never do things like this, especially with my nonexistent private life. I love my job more than anything. It's fun, I'm good at it, and I have a place in this crazy, hectic world. But sometimes, it's best to just try and get away. So that's what I was doing with Jasper, my brother in law, at a dingy bar in downtown Los Angeles. I was just…escaping. I had no idea that I would see the most beautiful woman in the world that night, and I had no idea that I would end up sleeping with her.

Until she called me, all I knew was her first name. Bella. _Beautiful_.

And then when she finally did call me back, a little over a month later, I was sure that she was just going to be going after me for who I was in Hollywood. I hated that the job of my dreams involved all of this celebrity status. If you're going to be successful in this business, you also sacrifice all of your privacy and what makes you _you_. I don't even feel like myself sometimes, I feel like I'm being drained away because of what other people expect of me. I can't be perfect.

Nonetheless, I did agree to meet her for lunch. I don't know why I agreed…but something in her voice told me that she really did want to see me. And I appreciated that. I was thirty two years old and I have yet to find someone that I really love or even someone I really wanted to be with. Bella could be different, I knew she could.

So I had gone. I drove my own car and made sure that no one saw me before entering the café where Bella told me to meet her. It took me a minute to find her in the café, but when I spotted her, I recognized her in a heartbeat. She looked a little awkward, but she was still stunning. But what if she only wanted me for my job and status? I wasn't afraid of many things, but being used was one of them. I had a tight-knit group of close friends whom I trusted everything with, and that was it. That group only included four people; my sister Alice, her husband Jasper, my oldest friend Emmet, and his girlfriend Rosalie.

Bella seemed a lot different. And when I had sat down, I'll admit I was nervous. That feeling only intensified when she told me that she was _pregnant. _And it was all my fault. I had done this to her, put her in this situation, all because I hadn't been able to control myself. Why had I done this? I didn't even know this girl, and now we were going to be connected for the rest of our lives, unless…

I don't mean to sound like such a fucking prick, but it's still possible that this child isn't even mine. Bella seems nice enough, and I'll admit that I feel a strange pull towards her, but I'm not going to get to involved until I am sure that she is in fact pregnant with _my _baby. I don't like doubting people, but sometimes you have to trust no one but yourself. And if it turns out that the kid isn't mine, then I would still like to at least be friends with Bella. It was so hard to have normal friends when you're an actor…almost everyone else is obsessed with fame and money and power. It drives me crazy. For me, being an actor was just my job. Other people didn't quite take it that way.

Being with Bella in any way was going to be hard. If the child was mine, I was, without a doubt, going to spend time with her before she was pregnant, and then both her and the baby after the birth. The paparazzi would catch wind of us…there would be pictures and stories and headlines, and her pregnancy would be a nearly impossible topic to keep under wraps.

And like I said before, even if she wasn't pregnant, I wanted to be friends. And that would also mean spending time together, and I would hate for Bella to be thrust into the spotlight. It was scary and overwhelming and a lot to take in. I wondered what would happen if this kid was mine.

What would I do? I was thirty two years old and could barely take care of myself. Becoming a father would mean leaving nearly everything that I knew. If I was going to be a father, would Bella and I start a romantic relationship? I thought for a moment, wondering if that would even work out. _No. _I decided, figuring that it was best for us to remain platonic. I don't think I'm going to be able to handle this whole situation as it is.

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"You look sick." Alice noted from her seat at my kitchen counter, and I nearly jumped out of my skin as I saw her sitting there.

"Fuck!" I spat, breathing heavily. "Alice, what the _hell_ are you doing sitting in my kitchen at seven in the morning? Don't you have a clingy husband at home?" I asked incredulously, rubbing my tired eyes and trying to relax.

My little sister just laughed and slid out of her seat, a magazine in her hands. "You're not very sly, big brother." She noted, taking a step towards me and looking down at the magazine with a smirk. "The paparazzi caught sight of you and some mystery girl at a café yesterday…and then going up into her apartment." Alice pushed the magazine towards me and raised her eyebrows. "Who is she, Eddie?"

"Don't call me that." I growled, snatching the magazine and running my free hand through my hair. And then when I caught a glimpse of the magazine, I blanched. Fuck…they really had spotted Bella and I. Why the hell hadn't I been able to see them? There was a blurry picture of Bella and I seated at the café, probably taken on a camera phone. There was another of us leaving, holding hands, and yet another of the two of us slipping into her apartment building. "Oh shit." I said, dropping the magazine on the table. I didn't even bother reading the article- I knew that is was probably just a bunch of crap about how I was finally settling down.

Alice shook her head and picked the magazine, looking intently at the pictures. "Come on, Edward, who is this girl? And why didn't you tell me about her?" She asked, pouting.

I rolled my eyes and padded over to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a long swig, trying to wake myself up a little bit. "Her name is Bella." I said a little grumpily. I just couldn't lie to Alice or keep things from her. "I met her at that bar downtown about a month ago." Alice grinned at me, perking up slightly.

"Ooh! Isn't that when you went home with a girl?" She asked in a hushed voice, and I looked down at my bare feet.

"Yes." I said honestly, squeezing my eyes shut. "Alice, she's pregnant." I said honestly, my voice cracking. But Alice didn't laugh. She just stared at me, her eyes wide and full of sympathy. Alice understood that I had a huge dilemma on my hands, and she walked up to me, putting her arms around me in a comforting hug. I inhaled deeply and hugged her back, holding my little sister tightly and squeezing my eyes shut.

I just didn't know what I was going to do…and I couldn't wrap my mind around that. I _always _had a plan.

"What are you going to do?" Alice questioned, looking up at me with a curious expression on her face. "And are you sure that the baby is yours?

"I'm going to be there for my child and its mother, Alice. And if it's not mine…I still want to be friends with Bella." I explained, patting her back as she continued to hug me. "She agreed to a CVS, but that can't be done until at least the eighth week of pregnancy. God, Alice, I fucked up." I admitted, dropping my head.

Alice shook her head, pulling away from me slightly, shaking her head quickly. "Honey, you didn't." She assured me, rubbing my arms. "Everyone makes mistakes, okay? You can't be perfect…no one can."

"I fucked up her life, too!" I shouted, wrenching my arms away from my little sister. "Alice, Bella is only twenty five years old. She has so much of her life in front of her, and I feel like I'm taking it away. Now, everything is going to be different. She 's going to be a mother…her whole life is going to be changed because of me. And thanks to the goddamn media, now her life is going to be plastered all over the tabloids. And again, it's all because of _me_."I slumped against the kitchen counter, both of my hands tangled in my hair to the point that it hurt. "What have I done, Ali?"

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**Told you he was a wordy bitch. As always, please review. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will answer. And thanks so much for all the support, guys. It's great and very motivational. I love the enthusiasm, please keep it up!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	4. Chapter 4

**Aw…you guys are just the greatest. Thanks for all that wonderful support you have all been dishing out! It means a lot to me. This one is in BPOV, okay? I'm glad you liked EPOV even though he had quite a bit to say in his inner monologue.**

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Edward was surprisingly down to earth. We were planning for lunch about a week after our first meeting, and he even called me and we talked for about a half hour before deciding on a place to meet up. I had been terrified after I had seen the pictures of the two of us in the tabloids, but none of them had gotten my name or any real information about me, except for where my apartment building is. But luckily, there are a lot of brunettes with brown eyes around here, and I've managed to go unnoticed. And thankfully today doesn't seem any different.

The restaurant that Edward and I decided on was relatively empty, and as I walked in through the door I spotted him sitting in the back of the eating area. He didn't see me come in, so I held back for a moment and observed him. Edward's hair was uncovered by a hat today, and was crazy and messy like he had been running his hands through it relentlessly. He also looked a bit tired as he absentmindedly traced patterns on the tabletop with his fingertip, but he was still wonderfully good looking.

I finally walked over to him, and Edward glanced up, a smile on his face. "Hello, Bella." He said politely, and then stood and pulled my chair out for me. "How are you feeling?" He asked as I sat down.

"Not too bad…I've just had a lot of unbearable morning sickness." I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I went to the doctor yesterday and he confirmed that I'm definitely pregnant." I added, my voice low. I didn't know if Edward really wanted to hear this right now, especially because he didn't know if my baby was even his. _I_ knew, but I understood that he could have doubts because he didn't even know me. And again, that we were at fault for that.

Edward nodded, and I saw the way that he angular jaw tightened and clenched slightly. "Have you scheduled an ultrasound or anything yet? Or a CVS?" He asked, and I nodded, just as the waitress approached to take our orders. She looked at Edward curiously for a moment, but didn't do anything else except for her job. We waited until she was out of earshot until we spoke again.

"Yes, I have an appointment in two weeks for an ultrasound. And I'm going to ask my doctor about the testing thing." I said softly. "I'm not sure if they'll be able to see anything, though."

"I'm sure they'll be able to make something out, maybe just a little bit." Edward mussed, just as the waitress arrived with our drinks. Again, she shot Edward a curious look, but remained silent. "You'll call me, right? I really would like to be there, no matter what."

I nodded, biting my lip anxiously. "Edward, I know that you don't exactly trust me, but I can assure you right now that this baby really is yours. I'm not the kind of girl you just…sleeps around. What we did that night…the whole one night stand thing, really isn't me. In fact, other than you, I haven't had sex for two years." I said honestly, and Edward raised his eyebrows at me.

Maybe he didn't believe me, but this kid was his, and eventually he'd know that for sure. "I…I just need to know for sure. People have attempted to take advantage of me in the past, Bella. It's really hard for me to trust people." He said, and I understood. It had to be hard. But I also knew that it would be a hard truth for Edward when he discovered the truth.

"Look, when the tests come back, I really would like to know what we're going to do about this whole thing." I said, placing my elbows on my table and taking a small sip of my bottled water.

Edward nodded slightly, biting at his thumb nail. "I guess we'll have to figure it out, huh?" He said with a small laugh, and I laughed back, nodding my head. "I think that this is going to be difficult." Edward said bluntly. "It's hard enough, just having lunch together. But when you start showing, it'll be worse. We're not going to be able to hide this forever, and we need to accept that. Eventually, the press is going to be all over us and I don't know if we'll be able to escape that." He closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head. "It's terribly overwhelming, Bella. I don't want you to be involved in this whole life if you don't think you can handle it. If you can, I am totally open to spending time with you and our child."

I was touched by his honesty…it was refreshing. "I can handle it." I murmured, and Edward and I didn't say anything else until the waitress brought our food.

Two Weeks Later

I lay awake at night, staring up at my ceiling as I ran my hands up and down my stomach. I pushed my shirt up off my belly, running my fingers over the now bare skin.. Also, I talked to my doctor about having the test Edward suggested, a CVS, done, and she suggested that I have the test tomorrow when I had my ultrasound. I was a little scared, but Edward had assured me that it would be fine, and that he would be there. In fact, he would be meeting me at the hospital.

At this point, the media and news have really gotten a hold of us. We had decided that we weren't going to hide things, but we weren't going to address things either, especially when Edward still had doubts about the paternity. But there have been pictures in every single tabloid magazine, and even some in newspapers. I still haven't been identified, but I know that I'm going to have to tell my parents before that happens. They'll be so disappointed in me, which I hate. No one, no matter how old they are, likes to disappoint their parents.

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Edward was already at the hospital when I got there, sitting in the waiting room and staring at his Converse-clad feet. "Hi." I said, sliding into the seat next to him. Edward glanced up and nodded at me, a small smile on his lips. He gently patted my knee, and I smiled slightly when his large hand lingered for a moment.

"Hi yourself." He said, leaning back in his chair. "You ready for this?" He asked, checking his phone discreetly and then sliding it back into the pocket of his jeans.

"I guess so." I sighed, crossing my arms over my stomach. I had been experiencing morning sickness lately, and it was driving me absolutely insane.

The doctor was nice enough, and Edward said he'd stay in the waiting room while I had the CVS done. I was scared and I would have liked him to be with me, but I guess I understood. Maybe he didn't want to get too attached or something. My doctor, Dr. Weber, gave me some suggestions. He said that if it did hurt, it would be over relatively quickly, and the test would only take about half an hour. I guess that Edward would also have to drive me home afterwards, because I was supposed to take it easy and rest. And I would be getting the results in two weeks, maybe even less.

Like he said, the test was relatively pain free and thankfully didn't even take half an hour. After the test was over and I was all cleaned up and put together, Edward appeared at the door with a nurse pushing a wheelchair. We went to a different room, and Edward touched my shoulder gently. "All good?" He asked, and I nodded wordlessly.

God, I hated that I was having a baby with a man who was a celebrity, who didn't even love me, and who I didn't even know.

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**A bit shorter than I originally planned, but there you have it. Please review! Ultrasound will be in the next chapter!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	5. Chapter 5

**Whew, this story is doing great. Thank you so much, guys. Your support and reviews are wonderful, as are you. It means a lot to me that you are enjoying the story that I'm putting out. I really appreciate how great you guys are being with all o this, so please keep it up!**

**Last day of voting for the 'Cougar Revolution' contest is tomorrow! Go and vote, please!**

**http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/u/2230877**

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I was barely paying attention all throughout the ultrasound, because I was focused on Edward. It was strange…the way he was acting. I think that he wanted to trust me, but he didn't really know how too. It was nice, though, seeing him take an interest. I wasn't asking him for romance or a real intimate relationship, I just wanted to know that he was always going to be there to support our child, even if he wasn't there for me.

And I was so scared. I hadn't wanted this, but when I heard my child's heartbeat for the first time, quiet but constant, I was totally in love. Because this was no longer just a baby. It was my baby. And maybe, if we figured things out, it could be _our _baby.

We couldn't see much on the ultrasound, but it was still incredibly moving. Edward and I kept our eyes glued to the screen the entire time, hardly blinking as we saw the image of our child on the screen before. I have a feeling that, on some level, Edward really does know this is his child in my belly. Things must be hard for him though. Not knowing who to trust, not being able to have a private life, and not being able to have a life that was truly normal. My own life had been turned upside down because of this, but what about him? His career could be on the line because he got a stranger pregnant, and that definitely wasn't a good Hollywood image.

After the ultrasound was finished, Edward and I just looked at each other, neither of us really knowing what we should do. Eventually, Edward stood up and helped me back into my wheelchair. "Let's get you back to your apartment." He said softly, and I nodded, and felt a small spark of electricity shoot through my body when he gently touched my shoulder.

Leaving the hospital was hell.

I was allowed to get out of the stupid wheelchair, but Edward had to hold onto me as he helped me into the passenger seat of his car. That I didn't mind so much. What I _did_ mind were the people all around us. There was no one physically getting to close to us or the car, but there were photographers standing several feet away, clicking away with their cameras. I ignored them the best I could, but the flashes were bright and I had to look down at my feet as Edward got into the driver's seat of the car. But instead of driving off immediately, Edward hesitated and gently touched one of my hands. "Are you doing okay?" He asked in a low voice, and I nodded without looking up.

"Yeah, I'm good." I said, clearing my throat. "I just think there are a lot more things that we to talk about. Can you stay at my apartment for awhile so we can do that?" I asked, and Edward nodded, pulling out of the parking spot and leaving the lot. "They won't follow us, will they?" I questioned nervously, looking over my shoulder at where the photographers had been standing.

Edward shrugged, briefly looking over his shoulder as well. "It doesn't look like it…but just in case why don't you come home with me?" I hesitated for a moment, but accepted. Whether we liked it or not, Edward and I were going to have to get a lot more comfortable with each other. From now on, we will be forever connected.

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"Do you want something to drink?" Edward asked me as we walked in through his front door. I had my arm around his neck and he had his arm around the small of my back, because I wasn't really supposed to be on my feet.

"No, I'm fine." I assured him, looking around the house with interest as Edward walked me into the living room. "Your house is amazing." I said softly, taking it all in. The house wasn't small by any means, but it also was not insanely large. It was cozy and warm, with dark hardwood floors, tasteful furniture, and plenty of artistic touches. I admired the house, wondering if Edward had done this all himself. "Did you decorate yourself or hire someone?" I asked as Edward sat me down in a recliner and draped a blanket over my legs.

He sat down on the couch across from me, pulling his legs up onto the cushions so that he could sit cross legged. "No, I didn't do it myself. My sister and my mother handled it all." Edward explained, running his fingers through his hair quickly. "What did you want to talk about, Bella?" He asked me, but he didn't sound abrupt or rude. He just sounded curious and unable to hold back anymore.

I smiled, trying to reassure assure him, before I spoke. "Edward, I just want to know how all of this is going to work out. I know that you and I are not a couple, but I would like for us to have a relationship. I know that you want to wait for the CVS results, but I can tell you right now that this baby really is yours. And I want to know how we are going to do all of this. You're going to have to be there, Edward. I know that you're a big celebrity and things aren't easy for you, but that doesn't mean you can ignore the existence of your child. I'm not asking for you to give up everything, but I would really appreciate it if we could figure out some kind of arrangement."

I knew that I was talking very quickly, but Edward didn't seem fazed by it. He simply listened intently, nodding his head slightly. "Thank you for understanding how I feel, though. About the CVS, I mean. And as for an arrangement…" He hesitated, looking at me with doubt in his eyes. "I would really like it if you would consider moving in with me." He said, and my jaw dropped. Not missing a beat, Edward continued. "Listen, it's not what you're thinking…I have plenty of room. It's not like we'll be in the same bed or anything." He was speaking quickly now too, and sounded flustered. "I'm trying to trust you, okay? And when the CVS results come back, I think that it would be best if we could raise kid…um, you know, _together_. We don't have to be a couple or anything, but don't you think it would be easier if we lived together?"

"Easier? I guess so." I said slowly, twisting a piece of my hair around my index finger. "Edward, I really appreciate this, but this isn't really what I want from you. Please, let me pay rent or do you laundry or cook for you or _something_.

Edward laughed softly, shaking his head and looking down at his feet. "I don't need you to do that, Bella. I can hire people to do that, I have the money."

"I know you do, Edward. I've seen your salary plastered all over the pages of magazines. I feel like way too much of your life is available to the public, but that isn't my concern. I don't want to be useless, okay? I like having some kind of purpose. I don't like being pampered or treated like a princess. I'm a normal girl."

Again, Edward was smirking at me with light in his eyes. "Alright. If that makes things easier on you."

At this point, would _anything _make this situation easier? Because it seemed to me like nothing was easy about our situation.

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**Sorry this one is a bit short but I've been really busy this weekend. It was either this or nothing! Please review, I really appreciate it!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	6. Chapter 6

**Some people have some questions that I need to answer right here just in case others have the same one! So I will address them!**

**Edward knows Bella that she's an amazing woman because he feels a pull to her, as stated in chapter three, EPOV: "****and I'll admit that I feel a strange pull towards her" To put it simply, he doesn't know her, but does find her intriguing and interesting and beautiful.**

**Also, some of you questioned about why Bella didn't recognize Edward if he was so famous. She just **_**didn't**_**, you know? Like when you see someone and they look really familiar but you can't quite tell who they are. And besides, she got drunk not long after. **

**If you have any other questions, please either review or PM me. If I don't respond directly, I will answer it in my A/N's!**

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Two Weeks Later

My hands trembled slightly as I dialed Edward's number, but I didn't know why. I had known this child was his all along, but it was still overwhelming. Unfortunately, he didn't pick up his cell so I tried his home phone. He didn't answer that either and I had to leave him a voicemail. "Edward, it's Bella. I got my CVS results back today, and um, they're just what I thought. I really need to talk to you because I feel insanely overwhelmed and I don't know what to do. Can you meet me at that café we first had lunch in? I'll be there around noon today, please call me if you can't make it. Otherwise, I'll see you then."

I hung up my phone and tossed it down on my couch, holding my head in my hands as I cried. This was getting to be too much. I didn't know if I could handle this. I had only known Edward for about three months now, and it was strange how connected I already felt to him. I knew that it was hard for _him _to trust, but I already felt so safe with him.

Edward never called me to say he couldn't make lunch, so I took a shower and got dressed before heading down to the café, dismayed that I had somehow gotten there ten minutes late. I scanned the café, looking for Edward, and was confused when I didn't see him. I checked my cell phone, wondering if maybe if had called. No, I had no messages, no texts, and no missed calls. He should be here. As I made my way through the crowded eating area, looking for him, a short woman with spiky brown hair and green eyes stood up in front of me, gently reaching out to stop me.

"Are you Bella Swan?" The woman asked, her voice sweet, childish, and high pitched.

"Um…yes." I said, confused.

She just laughed and gestured for me to sit down. "Hello, Bella. I'm Alice Cullen Whitlock, Edward's sister." She explained, and I immediately blushed at the mention of Edward. "I stopped by his house to drop off something, and I saw that you had left a message. Edward is supposed to be in and out of meetings all day, and since he has yet to introduce me to you, I decided to take the liberty for myself." Alice said, and stuck her hand out to me. "Bella Swan, I'm Alice Cullen Whitlock." She said again, smiling impishly.

"Hi." I said weakly, and Alice giggled.

"Oh, I'm sorry Bella. Edward always tells me that I'm way too much to talk in at first. I apologize, but I just know that we'll be great friends. Edward has never been like this with any other girlfriend, so I knew you had to special and I just had to meet you right away."

At the mention of the word 'girlfriend', I blanched slightly. Had Edward told Alice I was his girlfriend, or had she just assumed? Because Edward and I agreed that although moving in together seemed like a good move, a romantic relationship was not. "I'm not Edward's girlfriend." I said simply, blushing still.

Alice squinted at me, surprised. "But…you're pregnant." She said, propping her elbows up on the table. "And Edward said that you were going to move into his place."

"That doesn't mean I'm his girlfriend." I said softly, and Alice's face softened. "I'm sorry, that sounded rude. Edward and I aren't together." I clarified. "But we both think that it's really important to raise our baby together." I explained, and Alice gave me a look, and I knew what she was asking. She had obviously heard the voicemail I left for Edward, so she also knew that I had gotten my CVS results. "It's his." I assured her.

"I can't wait to be an aunt!" Alice said happily, clapping her hands together. "And you and I are going to have to get some bonding time in, too. I need to know you!" She was so bubbly and happy, it made me smile unconsciously.

Getting along with Alice was easier than I would have expected. She was a complete stranger, but I felt connected to her, just like I felt connected to Edward. Alice could talk like no one else I knew, and I found myself just listening to her all throughout our lunch, enjoying all of the stories she told me. Alice was married, but she was very close to her brother. Her husband, Jasper, was one of Edward's best friends as well, and he went out of town all the time for business. Apparently, if he left for more than a week, Alice would stay with Edward. So…I guess I would be seeing a lot more of her.

I was scared to be moving in with Edward. The reasons behind it were logical, but emotionally, I didn't know what it really meant to me. I so appreciated him offering up his home to me, but down the road, what if he met someone? I couldn't stay if he fell in love and got married and wanted a real family by choice. But I had grown up with no father, and I wasn't about to do that to my child. My father, Charlie, had been a cop and had died in the line of duty when I was four years old. My mother, Renée, had gotten remarried when I was seventeen but Phil had never really been a _dad, _he was always more like a funny, cool uncle.

Eventually, Alice pulled out a few magazine clippings and set them on the table, forcing me to take my attention off of my thoughts and back to her. "So what are you two going to do about these?" She asked, handing me the clippings one by one.

Edward had warned me about the press several times. The two of us typically kept to ourselves and tried to lay low, but there had been several pictures published over these past few weeks. I had still not been identified, which was a relief, but people were speculating terribly. Some pictures featured Edward and I leaving the hospital after my CVS and ultrasound, and I studied them carefully, wanting to see what other people saw when they looked at pictures of Edward and I together.

I liked the way we looked together. Thanks to the slight pain I had been experiencing, Edward had been supporting me, and he looked so focused. There was a picture of him helping me into the car, and then another of him gently touching my hands. He looked attentive, and I appreciated that.

"What do you think about it?" Alice persisted, and I shrugged, handing the clippings back to her.

"Um, they're just pictures." I said. "Edward warned me about paparazzi and everything, but it isn't bad at all. I don't really understand why you both think it's such a big deal."

Alice snickered, putting the pictures back in purse. "Bella, the only reason things are bad right now is because Edward hasn't worked for a few months. But now he's working on _two _movies, plus doing press stuff. Things are going to get worse. I'm really not trying to scare you or anything, but a lot of times the paparazzi and magazines are really intense and hard to get used to. Eventually, they're going to find out that you're pregnant, and it's just going to go downhill from there."

I hesitated, biting my lip. "Really?" I asked, feeling stupid.

"Really." Alice said calmly. "Have you told your parents and friends yet? I don't really think they would like to hear about it on a magazine cover. Oh, and you and Edward are going to have to tell my parents too. They'll be thrilled."

"Do you really think so?" I asked, and Alice glanced at me, confusion written all over her face. "I mean, our situation isn't exactly ideal." I amended, touching my stomach briefly. "Do you think your parents will accept this? Are they old fashioned? Will they be mad or disappointed or upset?" I asked, and Alice quickly shook her head, a small, angelic smile on her face. "I don't even know how my mom is going to react." I added softly, gazing over Alice's shoulder into the distance. "She's always been so adamant with me, saying that I needed to settle down and get married and have babies…I've skipped two steps and I don't really think she'll be happy with me, especially when she finds out the father of my child is Edward flipping Cullen." I was ranting, but Alice's expression remained neutral.

She was silent for a moment, but then gripped my hands in hers. "Bella, why don't you call your mom right now? I'll be here with you." Alice suggested, and I pondered the thought. Alice, although I had only just met her, had a very calming presence. "And as for my parents, I really don't think they'll care about whether or not you and Edward are a couple. They'll love you and their grandchild nonetheless." She was soothing me, and I was finally able to calm down.

"Okay. I want to call my mom." I said softly, and Alice smiled. "I'll do it now…" I muttered, digging through my purse in search of my cell phone. When I finally located it, much to my surprise, I had a text message from Edward.

_Bella, I just listened to my voicemails and I'm sorry I can't make lunch, but I'm going to be in meetings all day today. As for the CVS, I guessed as much. I'll call you tonight and we'll plan for lunch tomorrow. Is that okay? -Edward_

I smiled in relief, glad that he had gotten my message. I was trying to act strong and confident and brave around him, but I really wanted him to listen to the words that I _wasn't _saying **(See A/N at the bottom)**. The words that I actually needed him to pick up on. Alice looked at me questioningly, so I quickly dialed my mom's number, and Alice took my hand again.

"Bella, you haven't done anything wrong." Alice said quickly. "Don't forget that, okay?

Nodding, I bit my lip again and nearly fainted when Renée picked up the phone. "Bella, what's up?" She asked excitedly, obviously having seen my name on the caller ID.

"Mom, there's something that I really need to talk to you about." I said weakly, glancing up at Alice. She smiled at me reassuringly and nodding, encouraging me to go on. So without waiting for Renée to say anything else, I just spit it out. "I'm pregnant." I said, blushing red in the face. Renée was quiet for a long moment, and my heart raced faster and faster with each second of silence. Finally, she spoke.

"Bella…who…oh, my…who is the _father_?" She asked, sounding absolutely stunned.

Blinking back tears, I told her everything. About the night in the bar, about when I figured out I was pregnant, about my first lunch with Edward, about the CVS and doctors appointment, and about who Edward was. Alice held onto my hand for the entire time, which I was grateful for. The café was almost completely deserted now, but I still spoke in a low voice just to avoid anyone overhearing what I was saying.

Finally, I finished my spiel and let out a long, deep breath, unbelievably relived to have everything off my chest. Renée was quiet again, and I was still terrified for her reaction, but at least I had been able to tell her without breaking down and crying. I waited patiently for Renée to speak again, and when she finally did her words surprised me.

"I'll get a flight to LA tonight."

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**About the bolded sentence up there…that's based on a poem I feel really relates to this story. Read it, because it gives another little look into Bella's mind. The poem in 'Please Hear What I'm Not Saying' by Charles Finn.**

**I don't like hiding.  
I don't like playing superficial phony games.  
I want to stop playing them.  
I want to be genuine and spontaneous and me  
but you've got to help me.  
You've got to hold out your hand  
even when that's the last thing I seem to want.  
Only you can wipe away from my eyes  
the blank stare of the breathing dead.  
Only you can call me into aliveness.  
Each time you're kind, and gentle, and encouraging,  
each time you try to understand because you really care,  
my heart begins to grow wings --  
very small wings,  
but wings!**

With your power to touch me into feeling  
you can breathe life into me.  
I want you to know that.  
I want you to know how important you are to me,  
how you can be a creator--an honest-to-God creator --  
of the person that is me  
if you choose to.  
You alone can break down the wall behind which I tremble,  
you alone can remove my mask,  
you alone can release me from the shadow-world of panic,  
from my lonely prison,  
if you choose to.  
Please choose to.

**Anyway, please review and tell me what is on your mind.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	7. Chapter 7

**To answer some questions:**

**No, Edward's family members do not know about the baby yet. Alice knows, but no one else. Also, it will be made obvious in the story, but Alice and Edward are insanely close to each other. Jasper, Emmet, Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme will appear in the story very soon, if not in this chapter.**

**Renée is coming to see Bella because she's her only daughter and she's pregnant with her first child. Isn't that reason enough? And Renée isn't going to be a bad guy in this story. She's just a concerned mother, nothing less and nothing more. She's not going to cause big problems, either. I can promise you all that.**

**Keep the questions and reviews coming, guys! Love it!**

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As Alice and I left the café, I was upset to see that there were paparazzi _everywhere_. As Alice gripped my hand and pulled me through the crowd, I couldn't help but wonder why in the hell people were so interested in the odd relationship I was sharing with Edward. Just because he was famous didn't mean people needed to know everything about his life. Alice, thankfully, didn't seem fazed as she led me to her car. Upon seeing the cluster of paparazzi, Alice had told me that I should just go back to Edward's house with her and wait for him there. So I followed her blindly, keeping my eyes on the ground as bright flashes went off around me.

I hated this. I wasn't anyone special, so I didn't want people to be paying all of this attention to me. I knew that I already loved my baby, but this was getting to be too much, and I wondered briefly if this was all worth it. I shouldn't have called Edward when I found out I was pregnant. I should have just done it alone. But I hadn't. We were in this together now, no matter how we felt about it.

Once we got in the car, Alice tapped my shoulder gently. "I know it's a little overwhelming." She said sympathetically, and I nodded wordlessly. "Don't worry; it's not that big of a deal. People are figuring this all out, okay? We all knew that this was inevitable." She was trying to calm me down, but it really wasn't working. I didn't want this. "Bella." Alice said firmly, and I reluctantly met her eyes. "It's not the end of the world. Edward is a good person, and he's going to take care of you." Alice spoke with conviction, and then abruptly turned away from me and started the car, pulling out of her parking spot and getting onto the road. I remained silent, looking out the window.

"I'm really nervous about moving into his house." I finally said, and Alice looked at me in surprise. "I don't even know him." I clarified, and Alice bit her lip.

"I think the point is that you'll get to know him before the baby comes." She pointed out. "And I'm warning you right now, Edward can be insanely protective at times. He means well, he really does, but don't be afraid to give me a call if he's driving you crazy." Alice giggled slightly at that, and I allowed myself a small smile. "Besides, Jasper will be out of town next month for about two weeks, and you and I can get to know each other better then." She promised, and then frowned. "My brother is an idiot. He's going to be totally swamped with work, how is he supposed to get to know you better?" She asked, but I obviously didn't have the answer to that one, and Alice continued on her own. "I better he'll take you to the movie premiere next month." She murmured. "And maybe the Oscars…"

My eyes widened at the mention of the Academy Awards. Would Edward really want to go public like that? Wouldn't he feel ashamed off me? In no time at all, I was going to look like a beached whale, not a beautiful starlet. And Edward was gorgeous, he could have gotten any woman on the face of the earth. But he had gotten stuck me with all because I had gotten pregnant.

But I did have to admit that I really admired Edward's actions. Not many men these days would have stepped up like Edward has. Others probably would have just tossed some money at me and then shoved me out of their lives. Not Edward, though. As I reflected on these past few weeks, I realized that Edward really was trying. Sure, things were awkward between us, but that was to be expected. He was trying, while I was just being a stick in the mud, complaining about everything that was happening to be. In all reality, I was lucky. Not for getting pregnant with a stranger, but for at least getting pregnant with a stranger who was willing to work things out with me and get to know me, despite how difficult it was for him to have a private life.

Alice chattered away the entire ride back to Edward's house, but I didn't really say anything back. She seemed to content to fill the silence, and I let her. Alice was my family now. It seemed so strange to me, but it was truth. Alice was going to be my child's aunt. She was right, I really did need to get to know her.

By the time we got to Edward's gated home, there were several paparazzi milling around, holding camera's and eager to get a good shot. Again, Alice was unfazed. She rolled down her window and punched in the security code, and rolled into the driveway without a hitch. I, however, was on pins and needles as I peeked out of the corner of my eye to get a look at the people that were now so interested in my life. I knew that eventually I would be identified, and I was scared for that moment. I wasn't even famous, so I was not looking forward to the day when everyone will know who I am.

Alice and I trudged into Edward's house, and it was weird for me. I felt so out of place, even though I would soon be living in this house too. Alice set her purse down on the kitchen table, and then turned around to face me. "Come on, I'll show you where your room will be." She said excitedly, and then grabbed my hand and practically dragged me out of the room. As she pulled me upstairs, Alice looked over her shoulder at me. "How far along are you exactly?" She asked, and I immediately put my free hand on my stomach.

"Only twelve weeks." I said, chewing on my lower lip self-consciously. "I…I'm going to start showing soon." I added. Alice simply nodded, and then continued to pull me up the stairs, as if showing me my room was her top priority.

As bad as it sounded, I didn't want to be alone with Alice right now. What I wanted was to talk to Edward.

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**Sorry for a shorter chapter again, but it's only eight o'clock here and I'm already exhausted. I haven't even eaten dinner yet or taken a shower! So there are some things I need to do. Not sure about updating this tomorrow, because I think 'Love You Forever' will be updated instead.**

**  
Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for accidentally posting the wrong chapter the other night! It was supposed to be for 'Love You Forever' but I put it on here…so obviously the chapter eight notification you got last night wasn't real. Thanks to those who let me know right away so that I could fix the situation, and also thanks for not reviewing that chapter so you can review this one! I didn't get any questions for last chapter, so I don't have any to answer! But if you do have questions, don't hesitate to ask and I will do my best to answer.**

**Ugh, I am really sorry to be giving you a short chapter again. I've just been overwhelming tired again so there's no telling how late I can make myself stay up tonight. **

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The room I would be living in was beautiful. It was light and airy and comfortable, and I immediately fell in love with it. After showing me the room, Alice told me to get situated and take a shower, and that she would be downstairs when I was done. She even gave me one of Edward's old tee shirts to wear after I was done with my shower. And that shower felt _amazing_. I've been bottling up so much stress over these past few weeks, it felt wonderful to be standing under the hot spray of water, feeling like I had no problems in the world. Well, I still had a lot of problems going on, but it was suddenly easier to ignore them.

I was so scared. Having a baby…this wasn't part of my plan. I loved children, but I didn't know if I could handle this, especially given the father of my child. It wasn't that I didn't think Edward would be a good father, it was that I didn't know him. And right now, I definitely couldn't trust him or believe in him. Because he was a stranger. I was living in a _stranger's _house, having a baby with a stranger, and depending on a stranger. This wasn't me, this wasn't who I was.

In the end, my supposed-to-be relaxing shower had me slumping against the shower wall in tears. What was happening to me? I hated this, I hated _everything_. My hormones were out of control and I felt so bad about myself and the choices I had made. I should have stayed home that night instead of going out with Angela, I shouldn't have given in to Edward's advances…I just shouldn't have done it. Because now, I was in a complete mess with no true way out.

Edward and I weren't in a romantic relationship, so he was free to move on to someone else. What would we do if he came home with another woman when there was a crying baby in the house? What if he ended up getting married? I couldn't see a woman agreeing to live in a house with her husband, his child, and the mother of said child. It was weird and wrong and would never happen. But I also couldn't take our child away from him, I just couldn't. I knew that a lot of women would have no problem with that, but I did. Edward actually seemed to want a part in his child's life, and I was so thankful for that.

Shaking my head, I reluctantly got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body. I stared in the mirror and abruptly dropped my towel, observing my body. I was three months pregnant, and I noticed that my stomach was harder and had a very slight bump. Tears flooded my eyes again, and I quickly wiped them away. I could do this, I was going to do this. A child wasn't supposed to be a curse, it was supposed to be a blessing. Maybe it doesn't seem that way now…oh, who am I kidding? It _definitely _didn't feel like a blessing right now. But over time, this little baby inside of me would feel like my blessing. Even through all of this, all of the struggles and uncertainty, I would never deny that I loved my baby. Because I did, so much.

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As I walked down the stairs and into the living room, I was surprised to see Edward sitting on the couch with Alice's feet in his lap as she sprawled across the couch. They were talking quietly, and I hovered in the doorway for a moment, not sure if I should interrupt them. But Alice caught sight of me and sat up quickly, grinning and jumping to her feet. She bounded over to my side and grabbed my hands without a word, leading me to the couch before I could even say anything. Alice sat me down next to Edward, and then plopped down on my other side.

Not knowing what to do, I turned to Edward first. "Sorry, I'm wearing your shirt." I said softly, and he looked at me with surprise, blinking rapidly before looking down and realizing that I was indeed wearing a shirt of his.

"Oh, it's fine." Edward said easily, and then glanced over my head to look at Alice. We were all quite for a moment, until Edward spoke. "So…if you still want to move in here, I guess we should figure out when we should get your stuff over here so that you can get settled."

I nodded, twisting a piece of my wet hair around my finger. "Yeah, okay. Um, I have a lot of furniture, but you obviously don't need it here…what should I do with it?"

Edward cocked his eyebrow, thinking for a moment. "You're right, we don't need that stuff, so we can put it all in storage and then if you ever need it again, you'll have it." My heart sunk slightly at those words. Was he expecting me to leave eventually, or would he be _asking_ me to leave eventually? "Is that okay with you?" He asked hesitantly, and I nodded quickly. Alice looked at us with amusement, and then silently left the room, shaking her head as she did so. Edward watched her leave, and then scratched his forehead. "I'm sorry, is she bothering you? I can tell her to back off if you want…I know that Alice can really be a big pain in the ass." He was rambling slightly, but I sound it…cute.

"No, she's great." I assured him. "Did she tell you that we had lunch together?" I asked, and Edward smirked, nodding his head. We were silent again, and it was almost painfully awkward. I wanted to talk to him, but I also didn't want to look or sound stupid. "Can we talk?" I said softly, and Edward furrowed his eyebrows.

"Um, sure. What about?" He asked, and he sounded oddly nervous.

I smiled at Edward, wanting to reassure him. "I want to know you better." I explained, my voice soft. "I just…I just really feel weird about not knowing anything about a man that I'm going to have a baby with." Edward's face was overcome with understanding, and he waved his hand towards me, gesturing for me to start asking him questions. "Before, at my apartment, you said that you had been premed. That seems serious, like such a big step, so why did you change your mind so late in the game?"

Edward hesitated, rubbing his hands together. "I didn't act until my second year of college. And it wasn't until then that I realized how much I _didn't _want to be a doctor. It was so weird, realizing that I didn't really want to do what I had worked so hard to achieve. My parents, they weren't so happy about it. But then when they figured out how much I loved acting, they backed off a little bit and let me figure things out for myself." He paused, looking at me with a small smile on his face. "I changed my major just in the nick of time, and my whole life changed from there. I became an actor, and all of this," he waved his hands around in the air "changed everything."

Yes, _this _certainly changed everything.

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**We'll have more of the Edward/Bella conversation in the next chapter, but I really need to get myself into bed and get a little bit of sleep! I have work early tomorrow.**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for reviewing, guys. Eight chapters and over two hundred reviews? That's just great, I really appreciate it. Unfortunately I'm hitting a bit of a block and losing some of my steam, but I'm trying to push forward. So bear with me if updates are a little short or there's a tiny gap between updates! But don't worry, this story won't be abandoned. And…with the timeline I've got going now, there should be no more than forty chapters.**

**Oh, and I thought I'd share a nice quote with you today: "****If beauty is in the ****eye of the beholder****, so is ugliness****" Obviously applies to the story!**

**Also, I'm now officially seven months pregnant. And yeah, I'm huge. So that is one of the reasons that updates may be spaced a little farther apart now. And to answer some questions, my pregnancy is doing just fine! I'm hitting all the milestones with no complications. Thanks so much for your kind wishes, Jensen and I appreciate them and take them to heart.**

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Edward kept his eyes trained on me, and I blushed slightly. "What about you, Bella? I don't know anything about you either." He said, and I realized that what he said was true. I was complaining about not knowing him, but he didn't know me either. We both needed to get some things out into the open. "So, give me a little information."

"Um, okay." I cleared my throat and leaned back onto the couch. I was suddenly aware that Edward and I's arms were touching, and it unconsciously made me smile. It was no secret to me that I liked Edward. But with everything going on…we just need to get to know each other before anything else happens. "I went to college in Florida, where my mom lives, and I'm a book editor. I have a pretty flexible work schedule and I can work from home, so that really isn't too big of a deal." Edward nodded, pursing his lips. "I'm due March sixth, so I was thinking of going on maternity leave in mid to late February."

"I want to know more about _you_." Edward interrupted, and I had to hesitate. I had never had a lot of close friends or even a real confidante. When I grew up, Renée and I had never really _talked_ freely and about our feelings. This was all new to me.

But I would do it. "My dad died when I was little." I started, my voice low. "I was born in Washington but after he died, my mom and I moved to Arizona. And then when I was a teenager she met this guy named Phil Dwyer. He was good for her, he kept her more…stable, I guess. Anyway, they got married not long after they met. Then we moved to Florida, because Phil plays baseball and he got signed to a new team." I sighed, looking at Edward sheepishly. "I'm boring."

Edward smiled and put his hand on my knee, making me smile slightly. "You're not boring." He said softly, his eyes boring into mine as we continued to look at each other. I could have sworn that he was about to kiss me, with the way he was leaning just a little closer to me. I was about to throw it all to hell and just _kiss him_, but suddenly my phone started ringing and we practically leapt apart. Breathing heavily and blushing like a goddamn tomato, I fumbled for my phone and answered it after giving Edward an apologetic smile. He just shook his head and leaned back on the couch, fisting both of his hands in his hair.

"Hello?" I answered the phone, looking at Edward from the corner of my eye.

"Bella, it's your mother." Renée's familiar voice met my ears.

"Oh, hi mom." I said, and Edward glanced over at me, his hands still in his hair as he raised his eyebrows questioningly.

Renée paused for a moment before speaking. "I got a flight to LA tomorrow at eight in the morning. I need you to pick me up at the airport, okay? Probably around noon or a little sooner, alright?" She instructed, sounding more motherly than she ever had. Renée was not the typical mother figure, to say the least. "Where will I be staying when I get there, your apartment?"

I hesitated this time, glancing at Edward briefly. "Um, I'm not really staying at my apartment right now."

"Who are you staying with then? The father…that Edward guy?" Renée snapped into full-on questioning mode, asking me what was going on between the two of us and wanting to know every single thing about him. "Are you two romantically involved?" She added that to the end of her spiel and I glanced at Edward again, my cheeks still pink and flushed. Edward cocked his eyebrows, wondering what was going on.

"Yeah, I'm staying with Edward." I finally said, and Edward started gently rubbing my knee like he was trying to calm me down. It was a little stranger at first, but then I realized that I _liked_ him touching me. I wanted him to touch me, even in an innocent gesture like this one. He made me feel good. "Mom, really, you don't have to come." I said quickly, trying to discourage her. "I was just freaking out, but we're sorting things out know. I really don't need you to come…" I knew that it wouldn't work. When Renée decided to do something, she was usually dead set on her decision. Not much could make her change her mind.

Edward poked me in the ribs, raising his eyebrows as if he was trying to ask me what was going on. So I covered the mouthpiece of the phone briefly. "My mom…she wants to come and see me, and she wants to know where she can stay." I whispered, and Edward simply shrugged his shoulders.

"She can stay here." He said simply, and then checked his watch. "But I've got to get going, I'm meeting my manager and publicist for dinner." Edward said, standing up and then leaning down to kiss me sweetly on the forehead. "I'll be back later, okay?" before I could respond, he left the room.

I relayed his message to Renée, and agreed to pick her up at the airport and then bring her back here. After a little more conversation, she said she had to go and finish her packing. As soon as I hung up the phone, Alice was back in the room, holding plate in her hand. On the plate was a delicious looking sandwich, and I smiled gratefully when Alice handed it to me. "Thank you." I said, tearing into the meal. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until now.

Alice nodded and flopped onto the couch, looking around the living room. "Where's Edward?" She questioned, and I dropped my gaze.

"He said he had to meet someone for dinner." I explained, picking at my sandwich with little interest. "I guess he'll be back afterwards." Alice nodded again, and I could feel her eyes on me.

"How are you doing?" She asked softly, and I jerked my head up to look at her. Alice laughed softly, rubbing my arm. "Don't even try to hide it Bella, I can tell how troubled this whole situation is making you. And you know what? I understand. No, I don't know what it would be like to walk in your shoes, but I think I can guess some of the things you're going through." She paused. "Edward really is a great guy, Bella. He's just a little cautious to let anyone in. But so far, you really do seem different. I mean, he did ask you to stay in his house." Alice pointed out, and I shrugged my shoulders. Alice sighed, still rubbing my arm. "What else is bothering you?" She asked in a sweet voice.

I didn't even bother holding it all in now. "I'm pregnant!" I wailed, tears bursting down my cheeks. "Edward may be a nice guy, but I got pregnant before we could even get to know each other. Whether we'll admit it or not, things are different now. We're never going to be normal. What happens when he falls in love with someone else, Alice? The baby and I…what will we do? I can't just stay here if he gets married and starts a real family-"

Alice cut me off, gripping my arm tightly. "Don't think like that, Bella, please. Edward likes _you_. No matter what you think, I know that he does! The circumstances and the situation is rough for you guys, but you two just need to _try_, okay? Work it out! I can see the way that you two look at each other, and it's obvious that you like him too. So what if you're pregnant? So what if you're doing things a little out of order? The point is, you and my brother belong together. Even if you don't see it, I do."

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**Ooh, a little Alice-revelation. Please review! Renée will be making her appearance in the next chapter and I can promise that she is not going to be a bad guy. Pinky swear.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	10. Chapter 10

**Epic fail, huh? I know it's been quite the delay, for my standards, and I do apologize. But it seems that real life has caught up with me, and it's really kicking my ass these days. I am going to say it right now- this chapter will be a short one, and that is the end of it. It will also be the chapter in which Renée's character is introduced, so at least I gave you that. I hope all of you had a nice Easter last weekend, and for those of you in school, I hope the school year moves by quickly!**

**I have two new stories- "Spectrum" is about Bella raising a daughter with Asperger Syndrome, and "No Regrets" is about Edward and Bella after a broken engagement. Both stories have several chapters up and are E/B, meaning that Edward and Bella certainly will end up together.**

**You'll like this chapter despite its length. It finally becomes E/B!**

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I was on pins and needles as I waited for Renée to arrive. Edward was too, I could see it because he was doing a terrible job of containing it. He was pacing around the living room when I woke up this morning, and that was at seven. Now, it's nearly eight and he's still going at it.

"Edward, you can relax." I said softly, patting the space on the couch next to me. "Come on, sit down." I suggested, and Edward ran his hands nervously through his hair one more time before he finally came over and sat down next to me on the couch. "You don't have to be so nervous." I said softly, putting my hand on his knee. Last night, I had somewhat of an epiphany that was really rather obvious. If I was attracted to Edward, I should make the move and at least show him that. So that was what I was doing- giving him subtle looks, words, and touches.

"I know…I just am." Edward said with a small smile, and then he looked down and placed his hand on top of mine. When our skin touched, I felt a bolt of electricity surge through my body and I didn't even try to suppress the grin that took over my face.

I turned my own hand over and intertwined my fingers with his, and then leaned towards Edward slightly. "I like this." I whispered, and Edward turned towards me, a smile on his face as well.

"Really?" He asked quietly, and I nodded. "So do I." Edward said, looking down at our joined hands. "I wasn't sure how you wanted to handle our relationship, but…" He cleared his throat, looking me in the eye again. "If you want to have a romantic relationship, then I would love to experience that with you. I guess I was just too unsure to be able to take the initiative, so thank you for that."

I grinned, thankful that I had finally come to my senses to just act on my feelings for Edward. Even though I was pregnant and we had a relationship, the idea of us having a _romantic_ relationship had seemed doubtful until now. "I was thinking about it last night, and I figured that the worst that could happen was rejection, and I've handled that before." I explained, and Edward smiled again, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"Come here, let me kiss you." Edward said, and his hand left mine and cupped the back of my neck. "I'm glad I met you, Bella, I know that our circumstances are messed up…but I really am." And with that, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I remained motionless for a moment, but then quickly got into the kiss. I threaded both of my hands in Edward's hair and pulled him even closer to me, a shiver running through my body as he took swept across my lower lip seductively.

After the big kiss came down, Edward kissed me softly three more times, and then pulled away so that our foreheads were touching. "You're beautiful." He whispered, and then placed a soft kiss on my nose.

I felt my cheeks heating up, and Edward chuckled, brushing his knuckles against my bright red blush. Just as he leaned in to kiss me one more time, I heard the doorbell ring and we shot apart. "That's my mom." I whispered, feeling like a teenager again. "She won't hate you, I promise." I added, and giggled as Edward blanched slightly.

Then he swatted my arm lightly and stood up, offering me his hand. I took it, and we walked hand and hand towards the front door. I felt like an idiot, but I couldn't hold back the huge smile that was on my face. And could you blame me? I was holding hands with Edward Culled, and he had admitted that he wanted a romantic relationship with me. Of _course_ I was on top of the moon! Just look at all that has happened to me, just this morning.

Edward pecked me on the lips one more time, and squeezed my hand softly before opening the front door and coming face to face with my eccentric, harebrained mother. She looked tired and scraggly, but there was a smile on Renée's face, especially when she saw that Edward and I were holding hands.

Without saying a word, Renée stepped forward and threw her arms around both of us, surprising Edward as well as me. Although I knew that Renée was okay with the whole situation, I was extremely surprised to see how well she was taking to Edward. In fact, it was instant.

"Hi, mom." I laughed slightly when Renée finally stopped the hug, taking a step back from Edward and I. "It's so good to see you." I said honestly.

"Oh, honey, you too." Renée said breathlessly, a smile on her face nearly as wide as my own and Edward's. "And _you!"_ she turned to Edward, who widened his eyes in surprise. "Here I thought I would have to skin you alive, but you're obviously making my little Bella so happy." Renée said affectionately, hugging Edward again. And Edward actually _blushed._ "Come on, I'll make you two some breakfast and we can talk…"

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**Whew! I'm going to bed. So obviously that one was a filler chapter. You'll be getting a longer chapter eventually; I just am not quite sure on the wait yet. Please review and let me know what you think about Bella biting the bullet and putting the moves on Edward!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	11. Chapter 11

**So we'll be getting more Edward/Bella fluff in this chapter, as well as some interaction from Renée. She's been a bitch in some of my other stories, so I figured she would be nice in this one. I hope you like her! And this chapter also took less time to get out than the last one, so that's always good. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and as always, let me know what you think about it! And by the why, from this point on in the story it will be a lot of fluff. And I mean a lot. Like, they're building their relationship and it gets pretty sappy from here on out.**

**Also, I just started to beta for a very talented writer, ****kiki-twilighter-ever. I just did the first chapter of a new story of hers, and when it is uploaded I will let you know, because I really enjoyed it.**

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The last time I'd had breakfast with my mother, she had burnt every single thing and almost set the entire house on fire. But today she was in some kind of Rachel Ray mode, and wouldn't let Edward and I help her, even though we kept offering. Instead, Renée insisted that we sit down at the counter and talk to her. And there were a lot of things that Renée wanted to know. The due date of the baby, when we had decided to start a romantic relationship, when I would be moving in, and countless other questions just like those.

"Renée, are you sure I can't help-" Edward started to offer his help again, but Renée cut him off.

"I don't need any help." She said firmly, focusing on the eggs that she was preparing. All I need you to do, mister, is to take care of my Bella." Renée practically cooed, winking at me. I blushed and Edward chuckled, leaning across the table and kissing me chastely on the lips. "See, just like that." Renée laughed, scooping spoonful of eggs onto three plates and then walking them over to the table. "It's adorable."

Again, I blushed, but Edward and Renée didn't dwell on the subject, they just moved along in the conversation. "So, Edward, this may be weird, but I'm a big fan of yours." Renée admitted, and Edward laughed, taking a bite of his breakfast. "Really, I think you're great, and I just love all of your movies!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air excitedly. "And I hear that you're going to start work on two more movies!"

Edward nodded, swallowing a mouthful of eggs before responding. "Well, thank you." He said, and I saw a light pink blush form on his cheeks. The sight of it made me smile as I ate and listened. "And yeah, I'm about to start filming for two new movies. They both will be shooting here in LA, but I'm going to be pretty busy for a couple of months." Edward shot an apologetic look towards me, rubbing my knee with his hand. "But then I'll be at Bella's disposal for quite some time." Edward added, and we exchanged happy smiles with each other.

"Aww…" Renée clapped her hands together. "I'm so happy for the two of you. And your child is going to be absolutely beautiful, don't you worry about that. I can tell that your genes are going to mix wonderfully." She assured us, and I laughed loudly.

"Thanks, mom. Because that's what I was really concerned about." I said dryly, picking at my food. Renée rolled her eyes playfully and continued to eat her breakfast, but Edward narrowed his eyes at me.

"Are you not hungry, Bella?" Edward asked, looking down at my still full plate. I hadn't eaten but three or four bites, because although I was practically famished, the smell of the eggs was a little overpowering. I shrugged my shoulders and ducked my head, not wanting to inconvenience anyone. "Oh, stop being so demure." Edward teased. "I'll get you something else. What sounds good?" He asked.

I contemplated for a moment, thankful that he had called me out about breakfast. "Um, I'll just have a pack of yoghurt. Thank you." I said as Edward stood up and picked up my plate and walked it over to the dishwasher before stopping at the refrigerator to get me my breakfast. "Thank you." I said again, giving him a small kiss as he sat back down and handed me the blueberry yoghurt. Just as we started eating and talking again, I heard the doorbell ring. "Oh, should I…?" I asked, starting to stand up.

But Edward stopped me, shaking his head. "No, it's probably just Alice. She has a key." He assured me, and sure enough, Alice waltz into the kitchen a moment later, holding a yellow shopping bag in her hands.

"Hey!" She said cheerfully, dropping the bag on the table. Alice kissed the top of Edward's head, gave me a quick hug, and then turned to Renée. "Hi. You must be Bella's mother. I'm Alice." She said, extending her hand. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

"You too, Alice. Call me Renée." My mom said easily, shaking Alice's hand. "Sit down, I'll get you some breakfast…"

"Oh, don't bother." Alice said quickly, checking her watch. "I'm supposed to meet my husband for breakfast in a half hour, I just swung by to drop this off for Bella. Well, for Edward and Bella both." Alice said, handing me the yellow shopping bag. "Go on, open it up!" Alice exclaimed, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "I got it last night and when I saw it, I just couldn't resist." She explained as I started ripping the tissue paper away.

When I finally got it unwrapped, I let out a long, breathy sigh. "Oh, Alice, it's adorable!" I exclaimed, holding up the green and white baby clothes. "It's a little early though, isn't it?" I added, and Alice just rolled her eyes as I handed the clothes over to Edward, who laughed happy as he examined the tiny little clothes.

"It is." Edward agreed, standing up and hugging his sister before kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you. But yeah, don't you think it's a little early to start buying baby clothes?"

Alice shook her head as Renée looked at the clothes as well, smiling widely with excitement. "Silly, it's never too early to start buying clothes!"

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**Ugh…fail in length. I'm sorry guys, but I really need to get to sleep. I originally wanted to finish this story before Baby Bee is born, but I don't really know if that is going to happen now. Things are just getting really busy and complicated, you know? But my husband and I are **_**so**_** excited for our little bundle of joy. Well, we're also terrified, but that's to be expected with first time parents. Anyway thank you so much for all of your wonderful support and for reviewing, and please continue to do so.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi. So I have **_**crazy**_** allergies today and Jensen forced me to hand over my golden spatula and let him cook dinner. So while he's being my faithful cook, I'm sitting in the kitchen throwing pieces of popcorn at him and typing up this delightful chapter for you folks. **

**I hope you enjoy!**

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I couldn't stop staring at him. When our eyes met, I really just didn't want to look away. His green eyes were mesmerizing, a beautiful emerald color with sparkling flecks of gold and amber. Despite every beautiful thing about Edward, his eyes were definitely my favorite. You could get lost in them, just like I was doing right now.

That is, until my stomach growled loudly. Edward chuckled, leaning down to kiss me on the nose and then arching over to plant a soft, loving kiss on my belly. "Hungry?" He asked softly, and I nodded sleepily. It was only eight o'clock at night, but I was uncharacteristically tired. But my hunger far outweighed my tiredness, that was for sure. My stomach growled again, and Edward started rubbing my stomach gently. "Well, what are you hungry for?" He asked, and I bit my lip, contemplating carefully.

I hadn't bad many cravings so far, but right now they were hitting me strong. "Um, ice cream." I decided. "Chocolate. No, strawberry. No, no, wait, I want pistachio." I said, and Edward crinkled his nose in disgust. "Oh, you're right that sounds disgusting…I want rocky road." I said with a strong since of finality. "Rocky road." I said again. "Do you have rocky road?"

Edward hesitated, shaking his head. "Um, no. We can go and get some though." He offered, glancing at his watch.

"Ooh, yeah!" I said. "Let me get my shoes and jacket, and then I'll be right down." I said, jumping to my feet. As I hurried upstairs I passed the door to the guest room my mom was in and poked my head inside. "Mom, Edward and I are going to get some ice cream." I said, pulling my hair up into a ponytail. "Do you want any?" I asked, and Renée just shook her head and waved goodbye to me before turning back to her book.

When I got back downstairs Edward was waiting by the door to the garage, keys in hand. "Ready?" He asked, and I nodded eagerly as my stomach gave another grumble. "Hey, um, I'm going to try and find an ice cream place with not a lot of people." Edward informed me. "I just…ugh, I don't want to be mobbed, especially when I'm with you and baby." He explained, patting my stomach once before kissing me on the lips.

"That's fine." I said, buckling my seatbelt as Edward pulled out of the driveway. "But…can we act like a real couple in public?" I asked. "I mean, can we kiss and stuff? Because I don't think I can go too long without kissing you now." I warned him.

Edward chuckled, leaning over and kissing me yet again as he stopped at a stop sign. "Of course we can." He laughed, and then turned his attention back to driving. "I don't think I would make it too long without kissing you either." He assured me. "How far along are you now?" Edward asked me suddenly, raising his eyebrows.

"Um, twelve weeks." I said, rubbing my stomach anxiously. "I'll start showing soon." I added softly. "I'm in the second trimester now, too, so that means I have another doctor's appointment. It's scheduled for Tuesday at two o'clock." I hesitated, realizing that I probably should have said something to him earlier.

He frowned, glancing at me. "Well, um, I start shooting on Monday." He reminded me. "I'll have to see, but…I can't really be sure. Maybe if we break for lunch at a reasonable time I can make it." Edward offered, a small frown on his face. "Sorry about that. I really do wish I could be there…especially to see the sonogram. But you won't find out about the sex yet, will you?" He asked anxiously.

I shook my head. "No, I'm pretty sure that you can't find out the gender yet…not until like twenty four weeks, I think." I said. "But when it's twenty four weeks and we can find out, do you want to know?" I asked curiously. I hadn't really thought about the knowing the baby's gender until now; I had been focused on Edward and the start of our new, wonderful, slightly confusing relationship.

"Yeah, I would like to know." Edward said, not looking away from the road. "Why, do you?"

I hesitated, and then nodded. "Actually, yes, I would. I hadn't really thought about it much until now though. I guess if we find out, then we can, uh, we could start decorating the nursery." I said, getting tongue tied and fumbling with my words for some reason. Edward nodded again, his eyes still focused on the road in front of us. "This is moving really, really fast isn't it?" I asked in a soft voice, looking out the car window. "I know. It's weird for me too. I'm overwhelmed too. But I really like you. I think you're special." I said softly, wringing my hands in my lap as I waited for Edward to reply.

"I really like you too, Bella." Edward whispered. "Come on, let's go get your ice cream." He said, and I realized that he had pulled into a parking space in front of a Baskin Robbins. There were a few people inside and a few walking past, but thankfully there was no crowd.

We walked into the store hand in hand, and I surveyed the thirty two flavors carefully. Edward ordered his ice cream, and then tugged impatiently on my hand. "I thought you decided on rocky road?"

"Hush." I scolded, biting my thumbnail. "Now that I see all of my options, I'm unsure again." Edward sighed as I tried to decide for at least a few more minutes, and then decided that I wanted rocky road after all. After Edward paid we decided to take a walk around the block, holding hands, as we ate our ice cream cones. "Do you have anything to do tomorrow?" I asked, taking a lick of my ice cream and peering up at Edward. He nodded, looking down at me.

"Yeah, sorry." He said, sounding desolate. "I'm supposed to go to some party in Hollywood. Well, it's actually a benefit for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. You know…the one for kid's with cancer." He said, and I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"I've heard of it." I said softly, taking another lick of my ice cream. "I didn't know you were involved in it, though." I added.

Edward nodded, and then looked over at me, an unreadable expression painted across his beautiful face. "I had cancer." He murmured softly, looking down at his feet as we continued to walk. I stared at him in shock. Edward had cancer when he was little? When? What kind? Why…why hadn't he said anything about it to me before? We had talked a lot about our lives, why hadn't he ever brought this up? I squeezed his hand tightly, silently asking for him to continue. "Leukemia, when I was six." Edward elaborated, still not looking at me. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you…it's just hard for me to talk about. I don't remember very much, but I do remember being scared."

"I'm sorry." I whispered, leaning my head against my shoulder. "I know that it must have been hard." Edward nodded, looking down at me again. His green eyes were slightly glassy, and his pink lips were parted. He leaned down to kiss me, and then when he pulled away he pressed his forward to mine intimately.

"My mother used to cry, all the time. That I remember." Edward muttered. Then he looked down at me, saw that my eyes were filled with unshed tears for him, and he shook his head. "So you're going to the benefit thing?" I asked, and Edward nodded, looking at his feet yet again. "Can I come?"

Edward hesitated, and then looked at me with a smile. "Of course you can. I'd like nothing better."

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**Going to go for a little walk downtown, watch some old episodes of 'The Office', take a quick shower, and then get to bed. Productive night. Oh, and please review and tell me what you thought!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	13. Chapter 13

**Renée won't be staying long, to answer the question two of you asked. She just came to check on her daughter. **

**Well, guys, this chapter…it's sweet and fluffy with a little bit of drama and some tears, but overall it's still a relatively happy chapter. I'm watching 'Glee' tonight, so I'm not really sure how long I will be making this chapter. It just depends on how fast I type and whatnot. So please read and review and enjoy!**

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I was nervous. I stood in the mirror in my bedroom and surveyed my appearance, wondering if I looked alright. I was wearing a white tee shirt and jeans, along with small hoops earrings that were bright orange. The earrings were a spur of the moment decision- I knew that an orange ribbon was the leukemia emblem. I was still wondering why Edward hadn't told me until now about when he'd had leukemia. I know it must have been really difficult to both experience and talk about, but we were having a baby. Isn't that supposed to be listed in our medical history? Unless Edward went back and added later?

Although I'm not a total Edward Cullen junkie, I had read little articles in magazines about his life, but I had never read anything about him having cancer. Either no one really knows, or he just doesn't talk about it.

"Hey. You ready to go?" Edward was suddenly standing in my doorway, a crooked smile on his face. He was wearing a dark grey v dark and jeans, and looked totally put together yet completely casual. I was jealous of how he could look so effortless.

I nodded, looking over my shoulder at him. "Can you tell?" I asked, gesturing to my stomach. "I'm lucky to have not been showing before, but now…" I looked down, and I could see an obvious bump there. When I ran my hands over it, the bump was smooth and hard and felt so strange. I didn't really know what to expect, and that scared me. Up until now, I have always tried to be in control of most aspects of my life. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, that all went out the window. At least for right now.

"Maybe you should wear a dress with a high waist or something." Edward suggested weakly, and I rolled my eyes. He just didn't want to confirm what I already knew was true. I was showing more now, and today was the day people would probably find out. Before today, we haven't been anywhere in the spotlight. The hospital, the café near my apartment, my apartment, driving around LA, and last night at Baskin Robbins were the only places we had really been seen lately. And since we were in the process of cleaning out my apartment, we were only there every so often.

"Yeah, I will." I said, starting to remove my tee shirt. Then I crossed my arms over my chest. "Turn around." I mumbled, blushing. Edward raised his eyebrows at me, shaking his head, and then finally sighed loudly and turned around to face the hallway.

"Bella…I've seen you naked before." Edward reminded me as I quickly undressed and rummaged through my closet to find something suitable to wear.

I finally found a loose black sundress with a high-waisted halter top that would work perfectly. "Yeah, well…I don't exactly look the same as I did twelve weeks ago." I pointed out, running a brush through my hair and slipping on a pair of flip flops that Alice bought for me. "Okay, now I'm ready." I said, and Edward turned around to face me again. "Do I look alright?" I asked anxiously, and Edward cleared his throat and nodded, holding his hand out towards me.

"You look beautiful, Bella." He murmured, and then kissed my temple before leading me downstairs.

Renée was at my old apartment- she had volunteered to pack up the last of my things this afternoon while Edward and I were gone. And then she would be leaving LA tomorrow morning, and I wouldn't see her again until the baby is born in six months. I'm going to miss her, but in all reality six months isn't that much time. I have a lot of things to accomplish before this baby is born, and I only have half a year to do it.

"What exactly goes on at these benefit things?" I asked curiously as Edward led me out the front door. Instead of Edward driving like he had done in the past, there was a black Mercedes with tinted windows waiting, and a man standing there holding the door open for Edward and I. "Thank you." I murmured, sliding into the car first and immediately buckling my seatbelt.

Edward sat down and buckled up as well before answering my question. "Uh, this is some nationwide event. We set up lemonade stands like this girl, Alex Scott, did when she was little. The girl died when was eight, but the money we raise will go towards the foundation." He explained. "And then after we do that there's this walk…it's for cancer survivors and their families. I don't really like doing it, though. But I'll do it if you walk with me."

I nodded, leaning my head against his shoulder. "Yeah, I'll walk with you." I murmured. "Gladly." Edward hummed under his breath and kissed the top of my head. "You were eight?" I questioned, and it took Edward a moment to answer.

"Yes, I was eight years old when I was diagnosed. " He said softly, running his long fingers through my hair as he spoke. "Three years later I was cancer free. I still have to go in to get checked out, but it's been almost twenty years and no sign of it." Edward said, and I nodded.

"Good."

------

There were more people than I had expected. As we drove through LA I saw several Alex's Lemonade stands, but the one that the driver pulled up to looked scarier because of all the fans and paparazzi clustered around it. Edward got out of the car first, and I could hear the excitement outside. He held his hand out to me and I took it, taking a deep breath. The noise and lights were almost overwhelming. Edward held my hand tightly as we walked over to the stand, and I was thankful to be wearing sunglasses. There were camera lights flashing right in my eyes the entire time.

Thankfully, the camera's died down significantly as Edward and I sat down behind the stand. There were pictures for Edward to autograph, as well as lemonade and cups. Edward reached for two stick on nametags on the table and quickly wrote on them both before handing one of them to me. His read 'Edward Cullen, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Survivor'. Mine read simply 'Isabella Swan'. This should be easy, right?

Wrong. While there were plenty of people there who seemed genuinely interested in the cause, several were clearly only interested in autographs. Edward worked diligently signing everything fans shoved in his direction: magazines, photos, clothing items, even their bare skin. I worked quietly, speaking to no one but Edward, as I poured lemonade into cups. I was never good in large crowds of strangers.

I don't know how long this went on, but eventually Edward murmured to me that it was time to close up shop. I was relieved, but the people left in line obviously were not. An hour later, we were finally out of there.

"That was exhausting." I sighed, flopping into the backseat of the car. "Do you do that all the time?" I asked, taking a sip of the water bottle Edward held out towards me.

Edward took a sip too, and then answered me. "A lot of charity events are like that, especially ones out in the open like that." He explained, taking another big gulp of water. "You okay?" He asked, touching my stomach gently. "Not too tired or hot?"

"I'm fine." I assured him. "Kind of exhilarated, really. It was really crazy to experience that." I said, and then glanced out the car window. "Where exactly are we going now?" I asked.

"We have to walk the line of reporters, and then we're going to be at a big track. The walk is for celebrity cancer survivors, their families, and some kids with cancer that walk as well. It's really sweet to see them so full of hope." Edward said, and I smiled when I saw his eyes light up.

"I'm allowed to walk, right? I mean…I'm not really-" I started, but Edward cut me off quickly.

"Bella, you're family." Edward murmured, rubbing my stomach gently.

I smiled at him and my stomach dropped when he pressed his lips to mine longingly. We were silent, breathing heavily, as we continued our kiss and allowed it to deepen. Edward's tongue slipped into my mouth sensually and stroked languidly against mine, and I shivered eagerly.

Only when Edward pulled away did I regain my thoughts. "We're here." Edward murmured, pressing a kiss to my temple. "Are you ready?"

------

**Well…Glee is on. Please review and let me know what you thought!**

**Oh, and 'Lemonade Days' actually take place in June, but for the story, I changed it.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys. Again, thank you for all of your wonderful feedback. It's great. I still don't have a real idea of how long this story will be, but when I do figure it out then I'll be sure to let you know as soon as I do! It shouldn't be insanely long, at least I hope it won't be. I can't remember if I told you all or not, but the banner for this story is up on my profile along with all of my other banners.**

**So…enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think of the chapter, as always. And I won't be able to update this weekend, so the next update will hopefully be on Monday afternoon or possibly on Sunday night.**

I took a deep breath and nodded, and Edward kissed me softly on the lips. Then the door opened and I knew that this was it. Our relationship was now completely out in the open as soon as we got out of this car. It would longer just be the two of us…the entire media would instantly be everywhere. But it was the baggage that Edward came with, so I would take it.

Edward got out of the car first, and I winced as I heard people screaming loudly outside. When Edward turned around to offer me his hand, he looked at me and his face softened. "Are you okay?" He asked, softly, holding his hand out to me. I nodded and swallowed thickly, then took Edward's hand. I grasped it tightly, ducking my head as Edward helped me out of the car. The noise somehow got even louder, and Edward slung his arm around my shoulders. "Hey, relax. It's okay." He murmured. "You're okay." I nodded again, looking at him and managing a small smile. Edward smiled back, and then looked out towards the long carpet that stretched in front of us. "Come on, baby." He said, and we walked forward.

The entire thing was a huge, giant blur of excitement. People, both fans and reporters, were all over us. We never confirmed the pregnancy rumors, but we also didn't want to confirm them. For now, we just weren't going to say anything about it- that was the agreement we had come to.

And every single reporter wanted to know every single detail. They asked us how long we'd been together, if we were in love, if we were engaged, and so on and so forth. It was repetitive and tiring and was making me even more nervous than I already was. Edward didn't let go of me the entire time, which I was thankful for. He also did the majority of the talking, which was a good thing seeing as I could barely gather up the courage to speak. The whole process seemed to drag on for hours, even though it was probably only a half hour or so. And then, it was finally over.

We were walking towards a track, and that's when I realized that we were at UCLA. There were crowds of people around us, and my jaw dropped slightly when I saw all the famous people around me. "This is…_wow_." I said incredulously, continuing to look around in awe.

"It's pretty amazing." Edward agreed, and then checked his watch. "I think the walk is going to start soon, so let's go over to the track." He suggested, and I agreed. As we approached the track, I spotted Alice and a tall man with blonde curls making their way over towards us. "Oh, there are Alice and Jasper." Edward said, steering me in their direction.

"Hi, Bella!" Alice exclaimed, hugging me immediately before turning to her brother and kissing him on both cheeks. "Hey, big brother." She added, and Edward put his arm, the one that wasn't around my shoulders, on her waist. Then Alice turned to the man at her side, introducing him. "Bella, this is my husband, Jasper. Jazz, this is Bella Swan."

I nodded at Jasper, shaking his hand. "It's nice to meet you." I said honestly. Jasper had a very laid-back quality, which I was surprised to discover. Alice seemed so charismatic and outgoing.

"You too." Jasper said kindly, and I noticed that he had a slight southern drawl to his voice.

Edward and Alice and Jasper started to talk about something, and I just leaned against Edward, my head against his shoulder as he continued to hold onto me tightly. Their chat was then interrupted by a loudspeaker announcement, telling everyone that the walk would officially be starting in several minutes. We walked onto the track then, and Edward turned towards me.

"You're not too tired, are you?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"No, I want to do this." I assured him, and Edward smiled before kissing my cheek gently. "Really, I do."

The walk was long. It was hot outside. I was tired. But being with Edward, just walking and talking, was wonderful. We joked around and laughed and teased each other, not really caring about all the people walking around us. Edward told me about what it had been like to have cancer at such a young age, and my heart ached for him. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to endure such a disease when you were only eight years old. But Edward had done it, and the fight had helped to make him the wonderful man that he was today. I had yet to find a major flaw in him…which kind of frightened me. With most people, flaws were right out in the open or maybe just under the surface. But what if Edward's flaw were deep? Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clear down to the bone.

**To clear up that last part- Bella is afraid that because Edward doesn't have any apparent flaws, his flaws will be deep and bad. But we'll just have to wait and see, right? Like I said at the top A/N, I'm busy for most the weekend…it's my baby shower on Saturday and I'm spending Friday with my mom and sisters. There's a possibility I could get an update out Friday but if I have the opportunity I'm going to try and update a different story. Otherwise, the next update will have to be Sunday night or Monday night.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie **


	15. Chapter 15

**Wow. Over four hundred reviews! Thanks so much! I really appreciate it.**

**So, I wanted to update last night, but after I updated 'No Regrets', I watched Desperate Housewives and then went straight to bed…I was just really tired. But my baby shower went great; my house is packed full of boxes of move stuff than any kid should ever need. It's kind of ridiculous, really but my family and friends are great, just like all of you. I hope you like the update, and I think that you'll be pleased to find out that this Edward doesn't have too many deep dark secrets.**

**So I mention a magazine article in this chapter…just for kicks and giggles I made a magazine cover and posted it on my profile page =)**

……**.**

I soon realized that Alice was a very strange woman. One morning about a week after the cancer walk, I stumbled into the kitchen, half asleep, and yelped loudly when I saw Alice sitting there, reading a magazine with several more scattered across the kitchen table. "Alice, what are you doing here at eight in the morning? Does Edward know you're here?" I asked, pressing my hand to my chest as I tried to regain my composure.

"Yeah, he knows." Alice said easily. "I come over here most mornings, by the way. Especially when the magazine covers look like this." She added, gesturing to the large pile of magazines laying out on the table. "You, little missy, made the cover story of nearly all of these magazines." She said as I made myself a cup of tea. After I had my drink, I cautiously walked over to the table and looked over Alice's shoulder, making a face when I saw the article she was reading. Sure enough, it was an article about Edward and I, with plenty of pictures to go along with it.

"This is a little ridiculous." I muttered as Alice handed me the magazine and I started reading the article. "I've never even seen this one before…Fame? And I hardly think Edward and I are among 'The World's Most Famous'…well, Edward might be but I'm certainly not." I scoffed, flipping through each magazine quickly. They were all the same, with a timeline of our relationship and plenty of pictures. "And they act like its some huge discovery…it's stupid, we're just dating." I huffed, and Alice laughed, squeezing my shoulder. "Ugh. I need some breakfast." I sighed, pushing the magazines to the side and getting up to find something to eat in the refrigerator. "Hey…um, where's Edward?" I asked lightly. "I noticed that the door to his bedroom was open when I came down…"

Alice sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I thought he told you. He just started filming today on a new movie." She said apologetically as I took an apple out of the fridge and bit into it noisily. "He said he wouldn't be back until this evening…you're under my care today!" She added cheerfully, and I just nodded.

Although we were expecting a baby, I knew that the relationship between Edward and I was extremely new and foreign to both of us. But I still wish he had told me his plans for the day. We had spent all of last night together; you'd think it would come up. "Oh…okay." I said, looking down at the apple in my hand. "What do you want to do today?"

"Ooh…we could go shopping!" Alice suggested cheerfully, and I cringed inwardly. I hated shopping, unless it was for necessities. "Yes, but we could go for brunch first…and then if Edward gets out at a reasonable time maybe I could talk him into meeting us someplace for dinner." Alice decided, pursing her lips. "Does that all sound okay to you?" She asked me, and I nodded.

"Yeah, that's fine." I said. "I'm going to shower and get ready first, though. It might take me a little while since I'll have to blow dry my hair and shave my legs." I admitted, and Alice just waved her hand at me.

"Go on, I'm going to keep reading these very informative articles about your relationship with my brother." Alice teased me, sitting back down at the kitchen table. I rolled my eyes and threw away the core of my apple before heading back up the stairs to my room. My mom had brought all of my stuff from my old apartment over before she had gone back home to Florida, so there were boxes stacked up all over the place, filled with things that I really didn't need any more. It seemed liked Edward had everything anyone would _ever_ need.

Making my way through the disaster area, I grabbed a printed sundress and a pair of sandals out of my closet before retreating into the en suite bathroom. I turned on the hot water and undressed, but before I stepped into the shower I scrutinized myself in the mirror. There was no obvious change to my body except for the bulge in my stomach. I was fourteen weeks pregnant, and my stomach was hard and smooth, and honestly very difficult to get used to. All my life, I had also been skinny with a fairly flat chest- it's just how my body has always been. But now my chest has grown…I've already gone from an A cup to a B cup, and I'm not even halfway through my pregnancy. I hope they won't get too much bigger; I'm only five foot four inches and I would hate to look top heavy, even when pregnant.

After a long hot shower I dried my hair and got dressed, applying a little makeup and sliding on a headband before heading back downstairs. Alice was in the living room, talking on her cell phone and flipping through channels on the television. When she saw me, she turned the television off and held up her index finger, signaling to me that she would be just another minute. "Okay…see you then. Love you too." Alice hung up and phone and then stood up, picking up her purse as she did so. "Ready?" She asked.

"Yep." I said, picking up my own purse from the floor and slinging it over my shoulder. "Who was on the phone?" I asked curiously as Alice and I walked out the front door to where the driver was holding open the car door.

"That was Jasper, my husband." Alice explained, sliding into the car and scooting over so I could get in to. "The rest of my family is going to join us for dinner today, if that's okay with you."

I stared at Alice for a moment as we pulled away from the house, not sure of how to respond to that. Although Edward and I were dating, we still hadn't made any plans for me to meet his family. "Um, yeah. I guess that's fine…but does Edward know?" I asked, not wanting to put him in the spot.

"Oh, it was Edward's idea." Alice assured me. "He said he'd be able to make dinner at five o'clock tonight, but he might need to go back to the studio after we've finished eating. Something about stunt doubles and car chases- I don't really know."

And then it really sunk in. I was meeting Edward's family tonight.

……

**I hope you all had a weekend as nice as mine. My younger brother, Ryan, had prom on Saturday, and his girlfriend had the most **_**beautiful**_** dress on. I was so jealous when I saw the pictures…it was blue and purple with a halter top and a really low back and a little train…my senior prom dress was kind of boring, honestly. **

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	16. Chapter 16

**I originally wanted to update yesterday, but that obviously didn't end up happening. I just finished my story 'Alone', I'm going to wrap up my stories 'Love You Forever' and 'Chemicals' soon, and hopefully 'Commander in Chief' only has ten or so chapters left. Then I'll have more time to update my remaining stories. That is, until Baby Bee is born and I'll be like a zombie until she gets a normal schedule down. Hopefully since my husband will be home a lot during the summer, I'll be able to keep up on the updates.**

**Anyway, happy mother's day to all of the mom's out there; I hope you all enjoy your special day. **

……

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked angrily, gripping the phone tightly in my head as I gazed out the car window. "Look, Edward, I know our entire situation is a mess, but you and I really need to just _tell each other things_." I said, enunciating my last four words."You gave me absolutely no warning about meeting your family and I was just…hurt by that."

Alice patted my knee gently, looking away from the road briefly. I offered her a small smile before she refocused her attention on driving.

"I'm sorry." Edward said, sounding frustrated. "I didn't know until yesterday afternoon, and it honestly just slipped my mind. I'm not _trying _to hurt you or leave you out of things or keep you out or anything. I'm just really fucking forgetful." I sighed loudly, and Edward continued. "Look, I already talked to my mom and dad and they're really, really excited to meet you. So you've got nothing to worry about, okay? My parents are perfectly okay with our situation." He assured me. "Anyway, I'm leaving the set now, so I'll be on my way in a little while. I'll see you there."

"Okay. Bye." I said glumly, and then hung on my cell phone and put it back in my purse.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked, glancing at me again.

I shook my head, squaring my shoulders. "Oh, just a little lack of communication." I said with a tight smile. "But Edward said he's leaving soon, and he'll meet all of us at your parents house." I added, and Alice pursed her lips. "Will we be there soon?" I asked, trying to change the subject before Alice got mad.

"Oh, about five more minutes." Alice said easily. "But really, my parents are excited to meet you. Edward hasn't brought a girl home since…" She scrunched her eyebrows for a moment, thinking. "I think the last one he brought home was Tanya, and that girl was a _bitch_." Alice said bitterly. "She's the one that totally ruined his ability to trust. Hell, he didn't even trust _me_ for a while after she stabbed him in the back."

"Oh my god, what did she even do?" I asked, morbidly curious."

Alice shook her head, sighing loudly. "That's not my story to tell, Bella. I think Edward would prefer to tell you about that, especially because of his trust issues." She explained. "But, really, I think you're helping him with that. He accepted you so quickly, thank god, and it seems like you two are really moving forward."

I smiled, agreeing with her. "I think so too."

……

The Cullen's home was more like a big, beautiful mansion. As Alice pulled into the drive, I saw three people standing out on the porch; two men and a woman.

"Those are my parents and my husband Jasper." Alice informed me, turning off the ignition and unbuckling her seatbelt. After she checked her hair and makeup in the mirror, she gave me a thumbs up and got out of the car. I followed after her, thankful I didn't trip on my high heels, which Alice had coerced me into wearing for the big evening. "Come on, Bella!" Alice chirped happily, taking my arm and leading me up the stone pathway. "Hi!" She waved happily to the people on the porch, and they waved back, laughing.

We approached them, and it was obvious that these were Edward's parents, even if Alice hadn't told me ahead of time. He and his mother shared the exact same bronze hair and green eyes, while his strong jaw and facial features had definitely come from his father. "Mom, dad, Jasper, this is Bella." Alice said happily, kissing her mother and father on the cheek before giving her husband a light peck on the lips. "Bella, this is my mom, Esme." She said, and Esme smiled at me.

"Hello, dear." She said, giving me a gentle hug. "It's so nice to meet you." She smelled like lilacs and cookies, and she looked every bit like a 50's housewife with beautiful wavy hair that was pinned back behind her ear, a pearl necklace, and a navy blue dress. All that was missing was the apron.

"You too." I managed to get in before Alice tugged on my arm.

"And this is my dad, Carlisle." She said, and Carlisle gave me a small hug as well and a greeting similar to his wife's. He was tall, just about the same height as Edward, and had piercing blue eyes and thick blonde hair, despite the fact that he was probably in his early fifties. The only sign of aging on Esme and Carlisle were the small wrinkles by their eyes and mouths- laugh lines. "And you remember this dork, right?" Alice tugged on my arm yet again. "My husband, Jasper." She said, as the blonde, curly haired man gave me a big hug before wrapping his arm around Alice's waist.

"Of course I do." I said, smiling up at Jasper, who I had met at the walk.

He winked at me with his calm grey eyes and smiled. "It's nice to see you again, Bella." He said, that delightful slight southern accent laced through his voice. Jasper was also about Edward's height, meaning he towered over his petite wife. But they seemed to balance each other wonderfully, I could see that already after only meeting him twice. He was calm and confident, while Alice was a ball of excitement and quirkiness.

"Why don't we head inside?" Esme suggested, linking arms with me. "Rosalie and Emmet are in the living room, and we could have some drinks while we wait for Edward."

Everyone agreed, following Esme and I into the house. "Wow, your home in absolutely amazing." I said, looking around and taking in the high ceilings and grand staircase and intimidating crystal chandelier.

"Thank you, dear." Esme said, beaming. "Come on, the other two are in here." She said, walking in through the doorway of the living room. "Look who's here!" She said excitedly, leaving my side and walking over to a well-equipped drink cart in the corner of the room.

The man and woman in the room, who I presumed were Emmet and Rosalie Cullen glanced up at us, their drinks in hand. The man was burly and muscular, with curly dark hair, while the woman was curvy and blonde and had a sour expression on her face, like she had just been forced to bite into the lime that was stuck on her margarita. I ignored that, though, when Esme spoke to me.

"Water, Bella?" She asked, offering a water bottle out to me with a knowing smile. I nodded and blushed, accepting the water bottle from her. Esme's eyes zeroed in on the bulge of my stomach, and her eyes grew even softer and warmer.

I sat down on the couch between Alice and Rosalie as Carlisle and Esme served everyone else their drinks, and I was painfully aware that Rosalie did _not _want me there.

Great.

……

**Sorry for that little drop off, but did you really expect Rosalie to **_**not**_** be a bitch, at least at first? **

**Well, I've got to get going. My husband and I have a hot date.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	17. Author's Note

**Hi, everyone. So this isn't Mellie, it's her friend Keely. At 12:54 am central time, Mellie gave birth to a **_**beautiful**_** little girl after going into labor yesterday after (about ten days early). Mother and daughter are both doing great, and Mellie just wanted to let everyone know that everything is good and that she hopes to update again soon. Also, thank you for all the kind wishes throughout her entire pregnancy, I know that it meant a lot to her and Jensen. Like I said, the baby is a girl and weighed in at six pounds three ounces and is named Blakely Olivia Anderson. **

**Again, thanks for all the kind words and support. **

**Mellie says that she wants to try and update this weekend, but obviously she might not be able to. I'll probably type it up for her, and she says the next one she wants to update is either 'Commander in Chief' or 'Eye of the Beholder'. **

**Xoxo- Mellie, Jensen, Blakely and Keely.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi guys. This is Keely again, updating for Mellie. She already had this chapter mostly done, I just had to finish it up a little bit and fine tune some things. Mellie and Jensen want to thank you for all your good wishes and congratulations. Mellie and Blakely got to go home about an hour ago, so everyone is now getting situated at home. Blakely is down for a little nap and Mel just wanted to lay on the couch and see if I could finish up this chapter before she fell asleep…which probably won't take long. So this chapter might be on the short side.**

**And I have to say before the chapter starts, Blakely might be the cutest baby I have ever seen. She's got loads of dark hair and she's so tiny and just plain **_**adorable.**_

……

"So, why didn't Edward come with you?" Esme asked, looking over her shoulder at me as she handed everyone else their drinks.

I was in the middle of taking a drink, so thankfully Alice decided to answer for me. "Oh, he called and said he wouldn't be able to leave the set until later. He should be here by the time we eat, though." Alice said easily, leaning into Jasper's side and taking a sip of her wine. "You know how he is…doesn't let people know about things until the very last minute." I shifted uncomfortably as Alice shifted her gaze to me, raising her eyebrows.

"Don't I know it." Esme said, smiling. "He's always been the difficult one." She said, and I looked down at my water bottle as everyone in the room glanced over at me. I had known this evening would be awkward and difficult, and that was exactly why I saw so mad. It was true that I wished he would have told me himself, but I was also angry because he was leaving me alone with his family. I didn't mind being with Alice, not at all, but when it was everyone- Carlisle, Esme, Emmet, Rosalie, and Jasper as well as Alice, it was a little much for me to take in all at once, especially when I was on my own. But that was something that I would take up with him in private.

Luckily, as we all sat there, no one brought up the way Edward and I's relationship started. In fact, I don't even think any of them, save for Jasper and Alice, know the truth. But Rosalie did continue to ignore me while we all had our drinks. She hardly spoke at all, actually, and only when spoken to. She offered nothing to the conversation and I couldn't help but notice how she kept shifting away from me. The easiest answer to her behavior was just that she didn't trust me. But she didn't even know me, how could she even try and judge me like that? Edward is extremely close to Alice, Jasper, Emmet, and Rosalie, so one would think that Rosalie would be able to handle Edward being with someone. Apparently that wasn't so.

She continued to ignore me, and I just went along with it, not truly caring but just wondering what I had done to offend her or make her mad. Thankfully, just as everyone was finishing up their drinks, I heard the doorbell ring twice. But before Esme could get up to answer it, Edward was striding into the room, looking tired and wearing a tee shirt and a pair of worn jeans that had spatters of what looked like blood on them. "Sorry I'm late." He said easily, running one of his hands through his hair as he made his way over to drink cart after kissing his mother on the cheek and hugging his father.

"We were just having a nice little chat with Bella. She's wonderful." Esme said, smiling widely at me. I smiled back, blushing slightly at her kind words.

Edward looked over his shoulder at me, winking as he poured himself a glass of scotch. I smiled stiffly at him, crossing my arms over my chest. Just because he decided to show up didn't mean I was forgiving him just like that. That wasn't how things worked, at least not with me. His smile faltered slightly but we walked over to my side and kissed me on the lips all the same, nudging Rosalie over so that he could sit next to me. "How was your day?" He asked softly, and I just shrugged my shoulders before he leaned over and kissed me chastely on the lips one more time.

"We were just getting ready to eat, Edward. I'm sure your hungry, after shooting all day. How was it?" Esme asked eagerly, taking a small sip of her wine and leaning forward slightly in her seat.

"It was just busy, mom." Edward said, wrapped his arm around my waist and tracing small circles there with his thumb. "But it's fine. I've worked with Irina before, for that guest appearance on her television show. She's nice." I couldn't help it, but I stiffened slightly at the sound of another woman's name. Really, I shouldn't have been so insecure. It was just that I was feeling huge and pregnant, and Edward and I had not had sex since the conception of our baby. And that was fourteen weeks ago. "Are you okay?" Edward whispered in my ear, turning his head slightly as that no one else could hear. I nodded, looking at him briefly before hurriedly glancing down at my water bottle again. "Are you mad at me?" He asked, even more quietly than before. Again, I nodded, and Edward sighed, kissing my temple before and returning to the conversation.

Esme and Alice were both very talkative woman, and I marveled at how the conversation just flowed around them effortless. They keep the conversation going, laughing and smiling and having a good time. They included me, as did Emmet and Carlisle and Jasper, but Rosalie didn't speak a word to me. I continued to ignore it, but Edward had obviously noticed as well. He kept shooting her confused glances, and looking curiously between her and I. By the time Esme announced that it was time for dinner, Edward looked angry for some reason. As the eight of us started to walk towards the dining room, Edward left my side and fell back, gripping Rosalie's arm and holding her back for a moment. I saw him whisper something in her ear, and then he took three long strides and caught up with me, taking his hand in mine. "Ignore her, okay?"

I nodded, choosing not to question him. I remained silent as we situated ourselves at the dinner table, and Edward kept his hand on my knee throughout the whole meal. I managed to engage in the conversation more, but Rosalie looked even more reserved than before. After the last course, Carlisle asked Jasper and Emmet and Edward to come into the study with him for drinks, and the rest of us, the women, went into the family room to talk.

But as we stood up from the table, Rosalie gripped my elbow and held me back. "Esme, Alice, would you excuse Bella and I for a moment? We need to speak privately."

……

**This is where Mellie fell asleep, but we were pretty much done anyway. If she has other chapters already typed up, I'll see if she wants me to work on those too after she wakes up.**

**Please review, and let us know what you thought.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks so much for sticking with me through the delays. Thankfully, Blakely seems to be developing a bit of a schedule now, so things should be getting better update wise. Especially this week, because my mom is staying with me and she's all over Blakely and basically refuses to put her down. But while you're waiting for an update…why don't you go and check out my new story? It's a really sad three-shot called 'Toujours' and it is now completed. I would really appreciate your feedback on that story too!**

**I'm sitting in our living room right now watching Dr. Oz…this guy is kind of crazy, right?**

…

I followed Rosalie outside, and I honestly had absolutely no idea of what she could possibly want to talk to me about. Finally, she turned around to face me, her hands planted on her hips. "Look, I know you think I'm a giant bitch, and that's fine." She said abruptly. "But I'm not being a bitch for no reason. Edward is one of my best friends, and I'm one of the _only_ people in his life who he can trust. I know you're pregnant, and I know Edward trusts you, but that doesn't mean _I _have to trust you until I'm good and ready." Rosalie took a deep breath, looking me in the eye. "It's not that I hate you or anything. Honestly, I'm just like Edward. There are very few people who I can actually trust. I'm sorry to have offended you with the way I've been acting, but that is something about me that is not going to change. And if it can be changed, it's really my own problem to get over."

"Um, okay?" I said. "Thanks…for telling me." I looked over my shoulder back into the house. "Why don't we just go back inside now?"

Rosalie nodded and followed me back into the house, looking satisfied with herself. As we walked back towards the living room, Edward came walking out of the study, holding his car keys. "Hey, are you ready to go? I'm exhausted." He held his hand out towards me.

"Yeah." I said shortly, folding my arms across my chest instead of taking his hand. Edward frowned slightly at me, and settled on putting his hand on my lower back and guiding me into the living room.

"Mom, we're going to leave now." Edward said, walking over to Esme and leading me along with him. "Thanks for dinner, it was great.

Esme stood up and immediately hugged her son, kissing both of his cheeks. "Goodbye, dear. Thanks for coming…and for bringing Bella." She said happily, turning her attention to me. "It was so nice to meet you. Maybe you and I could have lunch together this week?" I just nodded, taken aback as she hugged me tightly. "Alright, wonderful. I'll get your number from Alice and give you a call so we can set something up."

"Sounds great." I managed a smile. "And thank you for dinner and for having me here in your home. It was great." As I spoke to Esme, I noticed Edward and Rosalie talking quietly off to the side of the room. Edward was gripping Rosalie by the elbow, and they were only standing a few inches away from each other. Rosalie was only about five inches shorter than Edward, but in this moment he was practically towering over her. It was pretty obvious that he was getting mad at her about something.

"Come on, Bella." Edward was back at my side in a moment, his hand on the small of my back again. "Thanks again, mom." He added, and then gave Alice a quick hug. "Ali, I'll see you for dinner Tuesday, right?"

Alice nodded in agreement at her brother, and then she turned towards me. "And Bella, you'll have to join us, of course." She said firmly, and Edward agreed softly. "But I'll probably get to see you before then." She added, laughing. "You and I should go shopping or something…you need some more cute maternity clothes."

"Sounds great, Alice." I said, knowing that there was really no point in fighting against Alice for anything. "Just give me a call."

Once we finally said our goodbyes to everyone, including Jasper and Emmet and Carlisle once they came out of the study, Edward and I finally got into the car. As Edward pulled the car out of the driveway, I leaned back into my seat and let out a loud breath. "Why are you mad at me?" Edward asked me suddenly, cutting straight to the chase.

"Because you don't talk to me." I said bluntly. "I know the circumstances of our relationship are different, Edward, but that doesn't mean you can just walk all over me and go through your sister to tell me things and just expect me to go along with you and whatever _you_ choose to do. I don't to be sitting around in your house, barefoot and pregnant." I snapped loudly, looking over at Edward angrily.

"Then go out." Edward said tersely. "I'm not holding you back, Bella! Yeah, I'm interested in you, but that doesn't mean that I want to control any part of you. I want a relationship with you, not just for the sake of our child, and when _you_ don't talk to _me_, I feel the same way that you do. And did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm feeling the same things that you are?"

I was silent for a moment after his spiel, staring out at the road before us. "No, it did not." I said coolly. Edward opened his mouth to say something else, but I just shook my head. "Now I just really do not want to talk, okay Edward? We can continue this discussion tomorrow."

"I'll be gone all day tomorrow." Edward snapped. "I have to be on set at seven in the morning and then I have a business meeting over lunch, and then I have to be back on set until God knows when. We'll either talk now, or we'll tall _sometime_."

"We'll talk _sometime_." I said snottily, and we drove the rest of the way back to Edward's house in silence.

…

**Uh oh, the happy couple is hitting a little bit of a roadblock. That roadblock is going to continue for a few more chapters, but just keep reminding yourself that I am a firm believer of HEA. Really, I am. Sorry this chapter was a bit on the short side, but Blakely is ready to eat and then I'm going to catch a little bit of sleep!**

**Please review, if you want to make my day!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks once again for your patience! Blakely is a month old and I kind of want to just make her stay like this. She's so cute and she's got all of us wrapped around her little finger. But anyway, back to the story.**

**Edward and Bella have a lot of work to do with their relationship, yes. But it can be like that. They're expecting things to happen naturally and just work out, but that's usually not the way things go. Life sucks like that. **

…

I woke up the next morning and was relieved to find that the house was empty. After our little fight last night in the car, I really didn't want to see Edward. And although Alice and I were becoming close friends, I really just wanted to have a little bit of time alone. So I got up out of bed and pulled a tee shirt and yoga pants on, running a brush through my hair before heading downstairs. Despite the fact that I had been living here several weeks now, I had never really gotten the chance to explore, and that was exactly what I was planning to do today.

After I fixed myself a simple bowl of cereal, I walked through the large house, peering through doorways and examining rooms as I ate my breakfast. Everything was neat and clean and orderly, and most of the house was warm and comforting. But the thing that really bothered me was that it didn't exactly feel…lived in. There was no real character behind the house, despite its beauty and comfort.

It was obvious Edward didn't get to spend much time at home. And I had to take that into consideration. Did that mean he wouldn't be around much to watch our child grow up? Did that mean I was going to be alone for the rest of my pregnancy, when I was still scared and on edge? Alice could be here, I knew that, but it was hardly the same thing.

I desperately wanted a relationship with Edward. I was attracted to him and he was funny and generous and kind, and also the father of my unborn child. Still, I had no idea how to handle our relationship. I had hardly had any serious relationships beforehand, so I had nothing to base it on. But that hardly mattered, because this was anything but typical and normal.

I didn't like being in magazines, I didn't like making the headlines, and I didn't like seeing myself everywhere.

But that was Edward. He was famous, and the media was probably always going to be a big part of his life. He didn't like it either, but he found a way to put up with it.

Why couldn't I do that? Why was it so hard for me to accept Edward and all the things that came with living his lifestyle? I missed my apartment…I missed being able to walk down the street without people taking pictures. I miss the days where I was totally oblivious, and my only worry was what to order from the Chinese takeout menu. I had left that life far too eagerly, thinking that living with Edward would mean a happy romance and total ease and comfort.

It was far from that. I did like being with Edward, but there was a lot about this that I hadn't been expecting. Combine that with the stress I've been under lately…and I've turned into a raving bitch. Edward wanted to talk, and I had basically ignored him and decided to shut him out. Acting was his job, his passion. I couldn't make him give it up for me, or even for our son or daughter. I owed him a lot…I knew that. However, that didn't mean I was just going to sit back and let him talk to me through voicemails and through Alice.

I continued to lose myself in my own thoughts as I wandered through the house, carrying around my now empty bowl of cereal. I was on the second floor now, and when I pushed open one of the doors, I knew immediately that this was the room I wanted to become the nursery. I was fourteen weeks pregnant, and we still hadn't started any preparations on the baby's room. But this was perfect.

The walls were a soft yellow color, and the carpet was thick and soft against my bare feet. There was no furniture in the room, but there was a large bay window on the far wall. I walked over to it, smiling when I looked out onto the large backyard. I looked around the room again, a huge smile on my face. This was perfect.

After my little exploration was over, I went back downstairs, cleaned up my dishes, and then realized I had nothing else to do with myself. I sat down in the living room, curled up in a soft blanket, and just let myself think. I thought about what Alice had said yesterday, about how Edward had once dated a girl named Tanya and how she had ruined his trust in people. I wondered what had gone on with her, but I wasn't exactly in a position to just go up to Edward and ask him who Tanya was and what the hell she had done to him. I wished I could, but unfortunately, I'm mad at him. And he's mad at me.

Bored, I got up off the couch after several minutes and went back up to my room, deciding that I should probably clean up a little bit. And after that was done, I was bored out of my mind again. I walked around the house restlessly again, feeling weighed down by both my swollen belly and the things on my mind.

Finally, I decided that I should just stop moping and get out of the house. So I put on a little makeup, brushed my hair again, and grabbed my car keys. It wasn't until I was in the car, backing out of the driveway, did I realize that I had nothing at all to do. Racking my brain, I decided that the easiest option would be to go to the grocery store. I liked shopping, but only for simple things like groceries. At the grocery store, you didn't have to try anything on and everything you wanted was usually conveniently in the same store.

Usually grocery shopping calms me down. But this was different. As I stepped in the doors, I was suddenly aware that people knew who I was now. No one approached me, but there were whispers and glances and it was making me paranoid. I kept my head ducked the entire time, suddenly just wanting this to be over with.

By the time I got out of the store, I was in near tears. Tossing the bags in the backseat of the car, I sat down in the driver's seat and fumbled for my cell phone, hitting the speed dial and hugging my arms around myself as I tried not to cry. Finally, the person on the other end picked up. "I need you." I managed to get out, and then I started crying.

…**..**

**Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	21. Chapter 21

**So I got my ass in gear and managed to get another chapter out for you guys. I hope you like it, and please leave a review!**

**Okay, we've got a review that needs answering concerning Bella's job: As stated by Bella in chapter nine- "****I'm a book editor. I have a pretty flexible work schedule and I can work from home, so that really isn't too big of a deal." And there you have it =) It's perfectly fine if you have questions, but you can always PM me (if you have an account, that is). I swear I won't get mad at you for asking questions! It's just that I can't reply to you if you're not logged in! But anyway, Bella can work from home and when she doesn't have work, she's bored. That's all, no hidden agenda.**

**Thanks for reviewing, it means a lot! I hope you like this chapter…most of you guessed who Bella called, but for those of you who didn't, it'll obviously be revealed in this chapter!**

…

EPOV

I flopped down onto the couch in my trailer, savoring the chance to get a little rest. I wasn't needed for this portion of the filming, so I got a little downtime and could finally relax. But not two seconds after I started to drift off to sleep, my cell phone rang loudly. Cursing under my breath, I deliberated letting it go to voicemail. But for some reason, I hauled my ass off the couch and grabbed my phone from the table, bringing it up to my ear. "Hello?" I answered.

The sound of crying immediately met my ears. "I need you." Bella croaked out.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" I asked desperately, panic suddenly flooding through my body as I fumbled for my jacket and car keys, thankful that I had driven myself to the set today.

"The baby's fine." Bella said, but she continued to cry. "I just really need you right now. Please, it's an emergency. I'm at the grocery store and…" Bella trailed off, sobbing.

I hurried out of my trailer, kicking the door shut behind me. "Can you drive home? I'm about to leave. Just calm down, you'll be okay. I'll be there as soon as I can. Will you be able to meet me at home?" I asked, hoping that she could understand me through her hysteria.

"Yes, I can drive home." Bella blubbered. "Thank you."

"It's not a problem, Bella. I'll be right there. Be careful, okay?" I got into my car and sped off towards home, wondering what the hell was going on.

…

I walked into the house and froze when I saw Bella, sitting on the stairs in the entryway and crying silently as she held her knees up against her chest. I hurried towards her, sitting on the step below her and placing my hands on her shins. "Bella, what's wrong?" I asked desperately, and Bella finally looked up at me. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she looked completely miserable.

"I don't know what I'm doing." Bella cried, burying her face in her hands. "I'm scared and lonely and confused…and mad. I can't control myself and I have no idea what to do." Her shoulders were shaking violently as she cried. "We got into this so fast and now there's no going back."

Rubbing her shins gently with my hands, I waited for Bella to settle down a little before I spoke. "I know you're mad at me for not being around. But I can't help it, Bella. I want to be with you and spend time with you, but the people who control my schedule don't give a shit about what I've got going on at home. But we're going to be fine, okay? Things are going to work out and we'll be able to handle this."

"I know." Bella whispered, not looking at me. "But I'm not used to this, and I don't know how you manage. It's terrifying- everyone knows who I am and none of them respect my privacy. Practically overnight, I've become a speculation…and I don't like that. It's hard to adjust to, and with all this stress…" Bella trailed off and put one of her hands on my shoulder hesitantly. "I'm not anything special, and people treat me like I am." She paused again, and I continued rubbing her legs tenderly. "I have to apologize for getting so pissed off at you." Bella added quietly. "It's not your fault that you have to work so much- I know that. But I wanted someone to blame."

I laughed quietly, kissing Bella's knee as I looked up at her. "I understand, and I am sorry. I'm so used to going through other people to get things done, but I shouldn't do that with you. I know that now."

Bella sniffled again, wiping at her eyes. "When I was at the store I felt like everyone knew who I was. It felt awful…they were just staring at me and whispering and it felt so strange. I know it comes along with your lifestyle, but it all happened so quickly. I can't process this."

I nodded my head. "I know it's hard." I soothed her. "You can never really get away from it. But I'll tell you what- the next day I have the day off you and I will go somewhere we can be totally and completely alone. No interruptions whatsoever, I promise. You're my girlfriend, and I feel like I haven't gotten to spend any time at all with you."

Bella finally laughed, tangling one of her hands in my hair. "I know what you mean." She murmured. "I wasn't expecting it to be like this…I just want to be with you, I don't care about the rest. I can handle this." She said, trying to gain some confidence.

"Are you okay now?" I asked, glancing down at my watch. She had only called me an hour ago, and here she was laughing and smiling again.

"Yes." Bella whispered, looking into my eyes. "Thank you so much…I don't think I could do this at all if you weren't so supportive. I understand that your job is demanding, and I promise not to get mad at you over that again."

I smiled thankfully, and Bella leaned down to softly kiss me. "I'm glad." I said honestly. "After this movie wraps and I'm done with promotions and stuff, we'll have some time to ourselves."

…**..**

**Thanks for reading! I'm watching E! News and they're having a special 'Eclipse: So True So False'. My loves of the franchise- Taylor, Robert, Kellan, and Peter all made an appearance, and it made me happy!**

**My sister bought Blakely a Twilight onsie, and she's wearing it right now. It's adorable.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	22. Chapter 22

**I got back from our little mini-vacation to see my in-laws, and now I'm super happy to be home. However, I did get to see Eclipse and I kind of fell in love with it…so much better than the first two! I might get to go and see it tonight with my friends, but it depends. Hopefully I get to!**

**Other than the stories I am already working on, I am always going to start writing a story made up of word prompts from WordThink. This won't interfere with my other stories, it's simply an exercise to practice writing every day. I'm not sure when I'll get started on that, but it will probably be soon.**

…

EPOV

I was probably going to be in deep shit for running off the set without telling anyone, but hopefully they would understand when I said it was a family emergency. None of the people from this movie really knew about Bella, except for what they could have read in magazines, because I had never thought it necessary to bring up my personal life at work. But now, I was going to have to so that I could explain my sudden absence.

"Edward! Where the hell have you been?" My co-star, Irina, appeared out of nowhere, her hands on her hips as she scowled at me. "You've been gone for almost two hours, and we've had everything on hold for you!"

David, the director, came over to us, also frowning. He was the one I had been most worried about pissing off. But hopefully if I explained myself, he would understand. David had children and a wife, so he probably had gone through this kind of thing before.

"I'm sorry." I apologized to both of them. "It was a…family emergency. My girlfriend, she's pregnant, and she was having some problems-"

Irina cut me off, her eyes wide. "Edward, you have a girlfriend? A _pregnant _girlfriend? Why didn't I know about this? I saw stuff in magazines, of course, but that stuff is usually just made up crap."

"It's not a big deal." I said. "It's just my…personal life."

She started to say something else, but luckily David interrupted her quickly. "Edward, I understand that there are some things that you have to do for your family, but you should have let us know that you were leaving. We would have understood if it was an emergency, and would have let you go with no problems. But now production has been halted, and we could fall behind. So let's get to work." He clapped me on the back and walked off, shouting to various people.

Irina gripped my arm as we both walked towards the set. "You'll have to bring this girl to the wrap party next month." She instructed. "I remember what happened with you and Tanya and, well, I would like to meet this new girlfriend, okay?" She said, and I just nodded.

Since Irina and I had worked together before, we did know things about each other's personal lives. Unfortunately, I wished that no one would remember Tanya, because she was one of the worst things that had ever happened to me. I had fallen for her lies so easily, all because I thought that I loved her and she loved me. Tanya was the reason it was hard for me to trust people- Bella in particular, because of our situation.

I no longer doubted Bella like I first had, thanks to the CVS testing, but it was still hard for me to try and be close to her. Sometimes, I just remembered what it was like with Tanya, how she had always wanted attention, and that made me cringe. I had to keep reminding myself that Bella _wasn't _Tanya, and that I really did have feelings for her. She was special.

It was late by the time we finally wrapped up for the day, a little past midnight. So I was surprised to find Bella awake when I got home, sitting in the kitchen eating an apple and reading something. She was wearing a pair of dark rimmed reading glasses, which I was surprised to see, and looked much more relaxed and comfortable than she had this morning. "Hey." I said, and Bella glanced up at me, surprised.

"Hey, Edward. I thought you wouldn't be back until late-" Bella looked at the clock, and then laughed, shaking her head and blushing slightly. "Oh. It _is_ late."

"Yeah." I said, standing behind Bella and rubbing her shoulders. "What are you reading?" I asked, leaning down to look over her shoulder.

She glanced at it briefly and then looked back at me. "It's a book I'm editing. It just got here this afternoon, and it's wonderful. I can't put it down, and it kills me to mark it up with my trusty red pin." She said with a soft laugh. "How was the rest of your day, after our…um, talk?"

"It was good." I replied easily, squeezing her shoulders gently. "And how was yours?"

"Fine." Bella said, smiling. "Oh, and I forgot to tell you…I was kind of exploring the house this morning, and I stumbled across a room I think would be _perfect _for a nursery. And I really want to get started on the nursery…picking out furniture and stuffed animals and stuff. The baby book says that's called 'nesting'. You know, getting everything all ready for the baby."

"Makes sense." I murmured. "What room did you have in mind?"

Bella grinned, clapping her hands together. "It's on the second floor, on the left. The room is empty, but the walls are yellow and it looks out into the backyard. It's beautiful, and I can really imagine our child growing up there." She explained. As soon as I realized what room Bella was talking about, I tensed up slightly. I should have realized that Bella would be looking around, trying to find a room for the nursery. I should have realized _that _room would appeal to her. Because it had been meant for a baby- just not necessarily this baby. Bella noticed my tenseness, and she looked up at me, her big brown eyes filled with concern. "Is something wrong?"

I cleared my throat, closing my eyes briefly. "Bella…I think it's time for me to tell you about Tanya."

…

**Argh, I know, that was kind of an evil cliff-hanger. And to make matters worse, I'm not exactly sure when I'll be updating. Shouldn't be too long, definitely sometime this week. Probably before Friday. There will be lemons coming up in later chapters, don't worry. Right now, looking at my outline, I'm thinking that there will be a lemon in the chapter after next.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry about that cliffhanger, but not really because you get the answers all right here. I've had this little back story planned from the start, so it's all been a build-up to this. After we get through this whole mess, we'll find our HEA. So there isn't a whole lot left to the story, but I'm planning for several chapters of fluff.**

**Please review! This chapter starts out a little rocky, but it gets pretty damn fluffy towards the end. And we finally have some conflict resolution in this chapter! Because Edward and Bella are the most adorable couple, and I looove me some good Edward/Bella love.**

…

BPOV

"Bella…I think it's time for me to tell you about Tanya." Edward said softly, and I stared at him, confused.

I had heard the name Tanya before, from Alice. But I had no idea who she was, or why Edward thought he needed to tell me about her. "Okay…what about Tanya?" I asked, tilting my head upwards to look at him. He cleared his throat and sat down next to me at the table.

"Alright." He took a deep breath, running his hands through his hair. "Okay." He said, and closed his eyes again. "Tanya…I, um, I've known her for years. She's not an actress, but her parents are both in the business, and our families have been friends since we were little. She always had kind of a crush on me, even back in high school, but I didn't feel the same way. So it was no big deal…I went to college for pre-med and then switched over to acting…we saw each other every once and a while because of our families."

I nodded, gently rubbing his hand and urging him to continue.

"And then when I came back and started acting…I don't know, she liked me again. And for some reason, I started to like her two. She had changed a lot while I was gone. Like, physically. I was attracted to her, so I gave in and we started dating. It…it was good. We got along and stuff, and I didn't really have to think about it. It felt natural." Edward said, biting his bottom lip. "And then, about six months into our relationship, we found out that Tanya was pregnant." He confessed, and my mouth dropped open.

His ex-girlfriend had been pregnant? Did he have another child? Or had something awful happened? 

"You…" I started to ask him, but Edward interrupted.

"No." He murmured. "Wait, let me tell the whole story." I nodded, squeezing his hand again. "I was freaked out, of course. We hadn't been planning for a baby, but then as the months went on, it wasn't so weird anymore. We both were getting excited." Edward said, and then he shook his head. "I was really, really stupid." He said darkly. "Tanya was just a fame-whore at that point. Her intentions may have started out well, but then everything was ruined. Rosalie…she showed up at the house one day. Tanya was gone, she told me she was going shopping for some new maternity clothes. She had been five months pregnant."

Edward bit his lip again, and pinched the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. "Rosalie saw Tanya with someone else. And so had the paparazzi. The next day, the magazines were all about the scandal of my pregnant girlfriend making out with some other guy. When Tanya finally showed up at the house to face me, we had a fight and she admitted that she had a CVS done months before, and told me that the baby wasn't mine. She had been cheating on me from the beginning, and she didn't even feel _bad _about it. Bella, Tanya knew she was pregnant with someone else's baby and she let me believe it was mine. She intended to raise the baby with me…she intended to _lie_ to me. The yellow room upstairs, that was supposed to be for the baby. But after I found out, I broke up with Tanya immediately, and I didn't have the heart to do anything with the room after that."

I couldn't believe what Edward had just confessed to me, even though it made so must sense. Rosalie had been the one to find out first, and that even explained her behavior to me. If our roles would have been reversed, I wouldn't have trusted Rosalie either. She had been trying to protect Edward.

And Edward's behavior to me, especially in the beginning, made perfect sense now. Tanya had messed him up. She had lied to him and hurt him and done things that were unforgivable.

"It's okay." I whispered, touching Edward's stubble-covered cheek with my fingertips. "I would never do that to you, Edward. I…I care about you so much. I don't want to hurt you, I don't want you to ever feel betrayed like that ever again." I took a deep breath, tears gathering in my eyes as I looked at Edward. "Edward, I love you." I whispered, my heart practically pounding out of my chest.

Edward's head shot up and he gaped at me. I held my breath, waiting for his response. And there was none. Dejectedly, I looked down at the table, wondering if this was the wrong time. But I did love Edward. I had just realized it today, but that didn't mean my feelings for him weren't strong.

"I love you too, Bella." Edward's words were soft, but I heard them loud and clear. I looked up from the table and straight into his clear green eyes, and I just smiled. Edward smiled back, and then cupped my face in his hands, pulling me closer and kissing me sweetly on the lips. Then one of his hands raked down my body, landing on my baby bump and pressing softly. "I love you." He repeated, and that was all I needed to hear.

…

**Yep, we'll have a lemon in the next chapter, and it will probably be a longer chapter as well. I'm so glad you guys are so into this story, so please keep reading and reviewing and offering your support! It means a lot to me, so keep it up. **

**I regret to inform you that I'll be gone the entire last week of July. I'll be back sometime on the first of August, but I'm not sure if I'll be updating on that day. But don't worry, I'll update more before I leave. Jensen and I are going to celebrate our first anniversary a few weeks early, and we're leaving Blakely with my parents. It's going to be a hard week apart…**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	24. Chapter 24

**Ugh it's been too long. I've missed this…Jensen and I got home Monday only to discover that Blakely has a pretty bad ear infection…so we've been pretty hectic around here for the past few days. And I'm not sure when that'll change! But thanks for being patient while I deal with RL. **

_**IMPORTANT: I'm glad you all enjoyed the fluff last chapter…and with this chapter…the lemon gets postponed. I'm so sorry…it originally fit in perfectly with this chapter but in light of recent RL events, this chapter is shorter than originally planned and the end, including the lemon, had to be moved to the next chapter. Again, I'm sorry for the wait, but the next chapter will be longer as a result of this.**_

**To answer a question- I'm not sure about introducing other people from Bella's life. As we'll get into a little later, she's not the most social person and tends to shy away from most people. It's an issue she and Edward will both be addressing sometime later in the story. Oh, and I have no idea how long this story will be or when it will be finished. I have a rough outline, but it's pretty flexible and could still change quite a bit. Hopefully the story won't go on forever and ever, though. **

**Thanks for all the reviews…over 700. You guys rock =)**

…

BPOV, One Month Later:

It was amazing how fast things could change. Edward and I went from being awkward and unsure and scared to being happy and in love, and the transition seemed to be effortless. The first change was that Edward's room was now _our _room. After fumbling around with his words and running his hands through his hair a lot, Edward had suggested that we share a room from now on. So we were. It would take a little bit of time for me to get used to the mess that Edward was content with, but it seemed that I had all the time in the world.

A lot of things would take getting used to, actually. We didn't know each other all that well, but that didn't change the way we felt about each other. Loving him was passionate and beautiful for me, and being loved by him was even better. After learning about what had happened with Tanya…I never wanted to give Edward a reason to doubt me. He was a good person, and I knew that our relationship was going to work.

Edward was still busy with work. The movie he was shooting took up a lot of his time, and he was also doing a lot of press for some other movie. I dreaded when he would have to go across the country or even across the world to do press junkets, but that time had not come yet and we would cross that bridge when we came to it. Despite his hectic work hours and overall busy schedule, Edward still cleared parts of his day for me. He would often get home late, but if I was still up we would talk or watch television or simply just do things together. And we went out to lunch a lot too, often joined by Esme and Alice.

Time was flying by. I was eighteen weeks pregnant, and I felt like I was getting bigger and rounder with every passing day. But it was all part of the deal. Not too long from now, Edward and I will have a baby. It's still extremely scary to think about- Edward and I know nothing about being parents. My own mother lives far away, and while Esme is always willing to lend a helping hand, it's not like she can guide us through 'Parenting 101'. At night after I finish up work, I pour over baby books and parenting books, desperate for whatever information I can pick up from them.

Like I said, things were changing and life was moving at a fast pace. But this was my life now.

…

"Nervous?" Edward asked, glancing over at me. I nodded, staring straight at my reflection in the mirror.

Alice scoffed at her brother, and then ran the brush through my hair one last time. "There's nothing to be worried about, Bella." She said soothingly, fastening a delicate silver necklace around my neck. "The dress I picked out for you is gorgeous, your hair and makeup are flawless, and you'll have a lot of fun tonight." She glared at Edward again, smacking his shoulder with the comb she held in her other hand. "Stop encouraging her to be freaked out." Alice scolded, and Edward just scowled and rubbed his shoulder where she had hit him.

"I wasn't trying to." He said, taking a step back from Alice. "I was just making light conversation."

"It's just a little overwhelming." I interjected, looking away from my reflection. "We've been dating for a couple months, but this is different. This is, like, Hollywood. That's what I'm nervous about." I clarified. Edward stepped towards me again, capturing my hand in his.

He lightly kissed my knuckles, a small smile on his lips. "Nothing to worry about. We'll get there, talk to some people, eat our dinner, mingle a little more, and we'll be out of there by midnight." He promised, and I exhaled with relief. "I know this is hard for you, Bella, but I appreciate you coming with me. It'll be fun." Edward added, and I smiled back at him.

"I know. Thanks." I murmured softly, tilting my head up for a kiss. Edward's smile widened before he ducked down and planted a soft kiss on my waiting lips.

"Um, excuse me, but I'm still here." Alice said, taping me on the shoulder. "And now I'm going to have to redo your lips!" Edward reluctantly broke away, but he was still smiling as Alice swooped down with a fresh coat of shiny lip gloss. "And if you two are done sucking face…you're good to go." She finally proclaimed, quickly clipping one side of my hair back behind my ear with a small peacock feather barrette.

"Thank you, Alice." I said, getting to my feet and examining myself in the mirror again. The black jersey wrap dress Alice had brought for me fit perfectly, even over my ever-expanding stomach. A thin black belt accented the little waist I had left, making me feel feminine and classy. The dress was beautiful, and I hadn't expected anything less from Alice Whitlock.

Alice beamed at me, looking me up and down with her hands on my hips. "No problem, Bella. Good luck tonight, and have fun." She said, giving me a quick hug before handing me a small black clutch. "Here you go, your cell phone and stuff are already in here." She assured me, and then turned to hug her brother. "Be good." She warned with a laugh, and then she bustled out of the room. "The car is waiting, and Bella's shoes are by the door!" Alice called over her shoulder before disappearing.

Edward took my hand again, smoothing down his black suit jacket. "Ready to go?" He asked gently, and I sucked in a deep breath before nodding my head. "This won't be too big of a deal." Edward assured me as we walked down the grand staircase hand in hand. "Just the cast, and there won't be a lot of press. These things are always fun."

I nodded again, squeezing Edward's hand. We reached the bottom of the stairs and walked towards the door, and I froze. "Is she serious?" I asked aloud, pulling my hand away from Edward's and squatting down to pick up the shoes Alice had left for me to wear. They were at least three and a half inches tall, and when you combined my pregnancy with my typical clumsiness, it wouldn't be a good night.

Edward chuckled, shaking his head at his sister's antics. "I'll hold onto you." He said, kneeling down and taking the shoes from me. Slowly, he slipped them onto my feet. Still on his knees, Edward smiled up at me, his eyes bright. "I've got you, Bella."

_Yes, you certainly do…_

**...**

**So…there's that. Once again, I apologize for this being a filler chapter. I'm taking Blakely to the doctor for her ear infection, so that nixed my plan for the lemon in this chapter. However, the next chapter will be longer and will definitely include that lemon…not sure when that will be posted. Hopefully on Monday!**

**Please review, let me know what you think!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	25. Chapter 25

**Blakely still has an ear infection…the meds are quite working yet. I originally wanted to get this chapter out sometime over the weekend, but I was gone most of Saturday and all of Sunday, so the soonest I could get this out was today. Hope you enjoy…please leave a review and let me know what you think.**

**P.S. You finally get the lemon in this chapter, but I'm warning you that it's brief and sweet…the whole thing is more of a very obvious implication rather than anything graphic. That's just not my style.**

…

BPOV

I held onto Edward in the car, leaning my head against his shoulder. "So, what's new with you?" I asked, looking up at him through my eyelashes. "We haven't had a chance to talk since…oh, it was just last night…" I trailed off, blushing, and Edward just laughed.

"It's fine." Edward said, the smile still on his face. "And actually…I have something for you." He reached into the front seat of the Mercedes, extracting a box and setting it on my lap. "No arguing, okay? I heard Irina talking about how she has one, and she said, and I quote, 'it's the best thing in the whole wide world'." Edward said, laughing slightly. I crinkled my eyebrows, looking at the orange box curiously. "Go ahead, open it." He murmured, pushing the box towards me.

I smiled and lifted the lid of the box, picking up the orange bag inside. I peeked up at Edward again, and then pulled the drawstring on the bag open. Inside was a beautiful black bag- shiny and fancy and smelling of new leather. "Oh…it's beautiful." I said softly, touching the leather with my fingertips. "Thank you so much, Edward." I said with a light blush, tilting my head up and kissing him reverently on the lips.

"You're welcome." Edward murmured against my lips, cupping my cheek in his hands and continuing to kiss me sweetly. He pulled away after a moment, gently kissing my nose. "Put your things in it." He urged, nodding to the brand new purse I was clutching in my hands.

Unable and unwilling to stop smiling, I took my phone, wallet, and all the other junk from my old purse and placed it in the new one, glancing over at Edward as I did so. "I usually don't like being spoiled, so don't make this a common occurrence." I warned, and Edward rolled his eyes.

"I'll do as I please when it comes to spoiling you." He said seriously, fiddling with his black tie. "It's my job now. I'll take care of you."

"I'll take care of you too." I said, not knowing what else I really could say. Edward and I had come so far in such a short time. There was still a lot that I didn't know about him, but we had time for that. Nothing had to be rushed or forced, it could just be…us.

The rest of the fairly short car ride passed in silence, but it didn't seem like silence. Kisses and touches took the place of words, and by the time the driver pulled up in front of the restaurant, I felt mellow and relaxed thanks to Edward's distractions. The place looked crowded, and I inhaled sharply through my nose when I saw the cluster of paparazzi that were clamoring around the entrance to the restaurant.

"Bella." Edward's silken voice interrupted my thoughts, and my eyes flicked over to meet his. His emerald green eyes were calm and reassuring, and I could already feel myself start to relax. "It's not a big deal, okay? Don't pay any attention to them. They don't know anything about you, they don't know who you really are- as a person. And that's all that really matters."

"Okay." I said shakily, clutching my new purse tightly. "I'm, um, I'm ready to go." I finally said, and Edward kissed me on the lips before opening the door to the car. I could immediately hear the noises of all the people outside, and I flinched slightly. Edward slid out of the car and then turned to offer me his hand. I took it quickly and held on tightly.

When we got out of the car, I kept my eyes on the ground, and tried to ignore all the noises around me. People were calling out Edward's name, and even mine. Thankfully, Edward didn't let go of my hand and we were finally inside the restaurant. The atmosphere was relaxing and it was fairly quiet. I looked around at my surroundings as Edward led me through the restaurant towards the back, marveling at the sleek and modern decoration and all the fancy people around us.

"Okay, wait." Edward said, stopping abruptly. We were in the doorway of what was probably a private dining room, but no one had noticed us yet. There were quite a few people there, milling around and talking and laughing. "I'm going to point out some people." Edward explained, and I nodded. "See that bald guy over there, with all the stubble, wearing the sweater?"

"Yeah. Who is he?" I asked.

"That's David." Edward explained. "He's the director. And that girl over there- with the short blonde hair and green dress, that's Irina. She's the female lead."

I nodded again, smoothing my dress down and rubbing my hands over my baby bump. "She's pretty." I observed, and Edward glanced over at me, looking surprising and nervous. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that. I know you guys are just friends, I was just making an observation." I said honestly, and Edward instantly relaxed.

"Oh, okay." Edward said, still a little awkward. He pointed out several other people, but then Irina turned around, spotting us in the doorway.

"Edward!" She called happily, putting her drink down and heading over towards us. "It's so nice to see you." She said as she approached us. Irina and Edward hugged, and then Irina immediately turned towards me. "Alright, it's for you to introduce me to your girlfriend." She said cheerfully, grinning at me.

I laughed nervously, and Edward did as well. "Irina, this is Bella. Bella, this is Irina." He said simply.

Irina smiled even more widely at me, giving me a hug. "It's nice to meet you, Bella. I've listened to Edward go on and on about you for weeks." She said, and Edward rolled his eyes but didn't contradict her. "And congratulations on the baby." She added, looking down at my stomach.

"Thank you." Edward and I said in unison.

"Well, we're about to start eating." Irina said, looking over her shoulder towards the large table, where everyone was starting to sit down. "Sit next to me." She said with a smile still on her face, looking from Edward to me. We agreed, and then we all walked towards the table.

True to Edward's word, the dinner passed quickly. There was a lot of conversation going on and everyone seemed lively and cheerful- it was much more fun that I had expected. Everyone wanted an introduction, and everyone was very nice. It was obvious that while Edward claimed to not trust many people, he was good at making friends. But I understood that…there was some kind of magnetic pull to Edward. He was so charismatic and handsome and easy to get along with.

Throughout the whole meal, Edward didn't stop touching me. He would either hold my hand or touch my knee or thigh of put his arm around my shoulders. His touch was comforting and familiar and even sensual.

I haven't had sex since the night of our baby's conception. And that was all a blur- I hardly remembered any of it, except for the fact that Edward made me feel good, better than anyone had before. I'm not sure why we haven't started having sex again…it's not like we haven't been there before. But then again, we had tried to take things slow. But now that we were in love and doing better than ever…it was time for Edward and I to talk about taking our relationship to the next step.

…

"We don't have to do this, if you're not ready." Edward murmured, his lips ghosting across my neck. We were lying in our bed, kissing, and I wasn't about to stop.

"I am." I assured him. "I am ready, really." I added, reaching up and running my hands through his soft hair. "I love you, Edward. I love you and I love our relationship and I love our baby. I've never felt happier or more taken care of or more loved. I think that we're ready for this."

Edward stared down at me for a moment, a crooked smile on his face. "I love you too, Bella. And I feel the same way you do. I've been through some stuff, and I sometimes have problems with trust and commitment…but that's different now. I do trust you and love you and want to be committed to you forever."

"Forever?" I asked softly, smiling, and Edward nodded.

"Forever." He reaffirmed, and then he sat up slightly, moving away from me.

"What are you doing?" I half-asked, half-whined.

Edward laughed, reaching over into his nightstand. "I was just getting something." He said, placating me.

"Hurry up!" I whined jokingly, and Edward rolled his eyes at me, getting back onto the bed and sitting cross-legged in front of me. "It's not nice to keep me waiting." I chided him, leaning back against the mountain of pillows behind me.

"I'll keep that in mind." Edward said, keeping his hands behind his back.

"What've you got?" I asked curiously, absentmindedly touching my stomach. Edward handed me a small black bag, and I bit my lip. "Edward…I said not to spoil me." I said softly, looking down at the bag he set down in my lap. "I appreciate it, but it really is not necessary."

Edward sighed, looking down at the bag. "Open it, please. I promise, I'll follow the rules from now on." He teased.

I giggled, but didn't open it yet. I reached out and stroked his stubble-covered cheek. "Thank you for the presents, Edward. But really, I don't need them. You shouldn't feel obligated to spend money on me." I admonished. Edward didn't reply, so I reached inside the bag and pulled out a small, rectangular box. "You really like giving me gifts that are bags inside of boxes and boxes inside of bags…" I mused.

Cracking open the box, a gasp escaped my lips. "Oh my god." I murmured, pulling out the silver bracelet. Several charms hung off of the silver loops, and I carefully looked at each one. There was one for love, friendship, commitment, and trust. In between each of the charms there was a small diamond charm as well. "It's so beautiful, Edward." I said, tears coming to my eyes. "Thank you so much…"

"You know how I feel about you…and know so will everyone else." Edward said gently, making me cry even more. "Hey…no crying."

"I'm not crying." I croaked, but there were tears running down my face as I spoke. "No one has even treated me as well as you do. Not even close. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Edward murmured, fastening the bracelet on my wrist and then moving the bag and box to the side.

"Then show me." I whispered.

And he did. He loved me with his touch and his words and he made me feel amazing. After a few minutes of awkward fumbling and discomfort I had ended up on top. Edward held both of my hands in his, keeping me steady as I moved up and down on top of him, and he moved his hips along with me. By the time I fell apart in complete bliss, it was extremely clear just how much Edward loved me, and how much I loved him.

…

**So, as I said, it was more of an implication. I think that for a lot of people, sex is personal and intimate. There's nothing wrong with smut, of course, but I really cannot see that fitting into my stories. There will be slightly more graphic lemons in the future, but they won't be explicit or dirty at all. It's the way I am =)**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	26. Chapter 26

**The ear infection rages on…poor Blakely. Actually, it's just a bunch of ear infections off and on. Either way, it's pretty bad. We've talked to some specialists already and we're pretty sure we're going to have to put some tubes in her ears. Ugh. **

**So that's the reason for the little delay, but here it is. Now you're going to be treated to a little delicious Edward and Bella fluff along with some talking and sorting out and whatnot. Please don't forget to review, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Oh, and I go back to work on Monday. Gross! My usual hours are 10 am to 6 pm, although sometimes I get off later or earlier, it depends on what's going on. For instance, if we're having some kind of art show, I go in around seven and don't get to leave until like ten. But hey, it pays the bills pretty well =)**

…

BPOV

I had woken up in Edward's arms before. But this was different. I woke up next to the man I loved, naked and basking in the warmth and comfort of just how well we had loved each other last night. Edward was still asleep, so I turned slightly and peered up at him through my eyelashes, taking in his angled jaw, scruffy stubble, and the way his long eyelashes skimmed against his skin.

After a few moments, Edward stirred and his eyes fluttered open, making contact with mine. "Mmm…good morning, sweetheart." He murmured, his voice husky with sleep.

"Good morning." I replied, smiling.

"Come here…" Edward said, leaning in for a kiss.

I moved away instantly, my cheeks flushing. "No!" I said, covering up my mouth. Edward stared up at me in confusion, his brow furrowed. "Oh, um, morning breath." I mumbled, my blush getting redder and redder with every passing second.

Edward stared at me for a minute, and then laughed, lunging at me. "I don't care." He said adamantly, and I quickly rolled away from him, now laughing as well.

"No! It's gross!" I protested, somehow getting tangled up in the sheets as I scrambled away. Edward was still laughing as I myself loose from the sheets and leapt up from the bed, wrapping the sheet around me and running. Edward was quickly on my heels, clad in only his boxers as he chased me out of the master bedroom and down the hallway. I squealed and laughed and looked over my shoulder as I ran, laughing harder and making a face at Edward.

He was closing in on me so I quickly rounded the corner into a doorway, and I shrieked as Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me backwards so that I collided with his body.

"Gotcha." He whispered in my ear, and we were both still laughing as we collapsed onto the floor, tangled up in each other once again as we kissed, not caring about morning breath anymore. Edward pulled the sheet away from my body and I hooked my thumbs around the band of his boxers, easily yanking them down.

Edward touched me and I touched him until he was finally inside of me again and I felt totally consumed. Sometime after we both finished and were coming down from our high, I noticed that we were on the floor of the yellow room…the room that would belong to the baby in just a few months. "Edward?" I murmured, closing my eyes and pressing my cheek against his slightly sticky-with-sweat chest.

"Yeah?" He asked, and I could feel and hear his heart beating solidly in his chest. "What?"

"I really like how much we've been talking lately." I said, opening up my eyes and staring up at the ceiling. "But sometimes…I can't help but feel like, um, like we talk about something and then totally drop it." I explained. "I'm happy, Edward, I really am. I love you and I love being with you…but sometimes I feel like you're just skimming the surface when you're telling me things."

Edward was silent for second, and then propped himself up with his elbows. I sat up as well, reaching down and pulling the discarded sheet back up around both of our lower bodies. 

"I don't mean to do that." He finally said, but he wasn't looking at me. "I really don't. I love you too and I love being with you, too. But sometimes skimming over things is just…habit. When you're talking to reporters and stuff, you don't hash out details and you don't repeat things." Edward explained, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.

"I get it. But I'm not a reporter, Edward. I'm…I'm your girlfriend. And the mother of your child…and the woman who loves you." I whispered. "Like…when you were sick. I know about it, I know what you went through…but not really. Is there any risk of you getting sick again? Is it hereditary? What…what was it like?" My voice cracked slightly as I thought about him being sick, but I tried to ignore it. And then I was just silent, waiting for Edward to respond.

"It was hard. I…I didn't really understand. And there's always a change of, um, _it_, coming back but I get checkups and stuff, and it's been all good. I don't really know if it's hereditary- I guess we'll have to ask." He said in a rough voice, and I nodded. "And Bella…please, don't make me talk about it. It's the one thing I would like to keep in the corner with you. I'm sorry, but that's something I don't want to remember and something I don't want you worrying about."

I nodded again, and Edward leaned down and kissed me again. And again, neither of us paid attention to any morning breath.

…**..**

"Bella!" Esme hugged me tightly, and then held me at arm's length and looked me up and down. "You look beautiful, dear. So pretty…and you're glowing. " She exclaimed.

I smiled back. "Thank you, Esme." I said, blushing as I looked down at my feet. I had dressed up for this, wanting to look especially pretty for my lunch today with Edward's mother. We had had lunch together before, but not without Edward or Alice there to kind of break the ice. "You look great…do you want to sit down?"

"Yes, of course." Esme said with an easy smile. "Lead the way, Bella." She murmured pleasantly, and we walked towards the restaurant together. I grimaced at the sight of the ever present paparazzi stationed outside of the doors, and Esme reached forward and patted my hand. "I know…they're quite agitating, aren't they?"

"Definitely." I said with a laugh, ducking my head slightly as we approached the paparazzi. There were only about ten of them, but they were still intimidating to me. "Do they ever follow you around?" I asked curiously as we got even closer.

Esme shrugged, shaking her head. "No, thank god. Not unless I'm with Edward…or you, apparently." She said coyly, and I laughed quietly. As we walked into the restaurant the paparazzi started shouting out random questions and I could hear the sound of their cameras, but I just kept my eyes trained on the ground and a small smile on my face, and then it was all over. I was dealing with the whole paparazzi issue better than before, even though I t was pretty sure it would always bother me.

"I'm glad you suggested lunch, Bella." Esme said pleasantly as we were seated at the restaurant. "It's always a pleasure."

"Likewise, Esme." I said with a genuine smile. "But there was actually something in particular that I wanted to ask you about-"

I was interrupted briefly when we were asked what we would like to drink, and then Esme picked up the conversation. "Yes? What would you like to talk about?" She asked sweetly.

I hesitated briefly, but only for a moment. "Edward told me about, um, about Tanya. And her baby. But Ever since he did, I've been wondering so much about…about the two of them." I managed to say.

Esme pursed her lips at the mention of Tanya's name, and we were interrupted once again with the delivery of our drinks and as our orders were taken. "I've known Tanya for a long time." Esme said suddenly, taking a sip of the wine she had ordered with lunch. "We all have- Carlisle and I were good friends with her parents. We aren't anymore though, obviously." She sighed, fiddling with her earring. "Tanya really did a number on Edward, Bella. He was very dedicated to her and to their relationship. For years he hadn't returned her feelings, but when he finally did, he tried to make it work."

She paused again, gathering her words. "I'm not saying their relationship was perfect, because it definitely wasn't. They had their fights and disagreements like any other couple. But when they found out that Tanya was pregnant, Edward came to Carlisle and I, and told us that he was going to commit to Tanya and their baby. Carlisle and I were happy for him, for them, of course. But there was always something about Tanya…something was always a little off. Sometimes she was down to earth and sometimes she was smug, and we didn't know which side of her personality was the truth.

"Edward didn't notice this, though, and I never said anything about it. He was determined for their relationship to work. And then…one morning I went to the grocery store to buy some fruit to go with breakfast, and I saw the headlines. I saw the pictures of my son's pregnant girlfriend kissing another man, and my heart just went out to him. I knew it would be so hard on him, especially with the way the media told the story. I didn't get a chance to buy what I wanted that morning. I went straight back to the car and called Edward. He didn't answer. I called Alice, and she was in an uproar. And then I got a call from Rosalie- she was screaming and crying and saying that Edward was a complete wreck. She was at his house…he was drinking and wouldn't talk to anyone." 

I took a deep breath- this was hard to hear.

"He's my son. It hurt me to see him like that. He was practically unresponsive, he was so broken hearted. Rosalie stayed with, playing nurse like she was trying to make it all go away. Alice and Jasper were on their honeymoon at the time, but of course Alice keeps up with the media and had seen the pictures before I had."

Our food was delivered, but Esme didn't stop talking. "It was hard for him, and hard for our family. We're all always been extremely close, so what hurt him deeply hurt us deeply as well. At first Tanya's parents acted like it hadn't happened, but Carlisle and I wouldn't stand for that and cut off all ties. Edward was always different after that, Bella. He was never quite the same, until now." Esme reached over and covered my free hand with hers, a light smile on her lips. "You're working wonders, Bella. Thank you."

There were tears flooding my eyes, but I ignored them. "He's doing wonders for me, too." I assured her.

Because he truly was.

…**..**

**Longer chapter…go me. But I'm without internet for the moment so this probably won't go up until late late late tonight.**

**Review, if you are so inclined.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	27. Chapter 27

**Yay! The doctor **_**finally **_**found a medicine that Blakely is responding positively to. So if she does need to get tubes in her years, it won't be for a couple months or even years. I'm in a good mood now! And I felt that this story needed a nice update, so here I am.**

'**Such Difference' will probably be updating soon as well…chapter twenty five was just sent to the pre-reader a little while ago.**

**Please review, I very much appreciate them!**

**And by the way…is there anything you guys would like to see between Edward and Bella? Like…a certain thing you want them to talk about or do? Just let me know!**

…

BPOV, Two Months Later:

Time seems to be flying faster than ever. I suddenly went from being five months pregnant to being seven months pregnant, and it seems like my stomach has practically doubled in size overnight.

Despite my rapidly changing body and emotions, I'm easily placated by Edward. Despite his busy schedule (the past few weeks have been filled up with promotions for his upcoming movie), he's been here at the house as much as possible, and we have dinner with his family once a week. Alice and I are still close, and even Rosalie has started to warm up to me.

The pieces of what used to be a very complicated life and slowly meshing together, making things seem better than they've ever been.

But there are still things to be scared off, still things that keep me up worrying at night.

I think about Edward being sick, about my dad dying when I was just a kid, and about how often relationships fall apart. These thoughts creep into my mind and haunt me. Even though I try and talk to Edward about it…there are some things I just don't want to bring up, because I don't even want to think about them.

It would be so easy for me to just get lost in the shuffle of Edward's constantly hectic life, but he doesn't let that happen. Like tonight. Tonight, I'm going to a movie premiere.

This is the epitome of what scares me- being in the spotlight, having hundreds of people around that all know who I am, and being photographed and yelled at and interviewed. It's still scary, and I still am sure that it is something I will never get used to, even though Edward assures me I will.

Alice is my stylist for the night, of course.

"Green. No…purple. Ugh, no. How about blue?" Alice is in rare form tonight, running around frantically and tearing through the several racks of designer clothes she borrowed for this very occasion. I was stunned to see the number of dresses she had acquired, but Alice acted like it was nothing.

"Black." I said firmly, and Alice rolled her eyes.

"Bella, you're seven months pregnant. No one thinks your _fat_." She said 'fat' like it was a four letter word, her voice dropping to a whisper.

I sighed, staring at my reflection in the full length mirror. My silk robe stretched out across my huge stomach, and even though I knew I was being ridiculous, I didn't like it. "Do I have to go?" I asked Alice in a small voice, practically pleading with her. She gave me a pointed look, and I groaned. "Fine. But please, let me wear black…it just makes me feel more confident."

Alice pursed her lips, looking through the dresses once more. "How about a little compromise…" She selected a dress and held it out to me, the expression on her face hopeful. "Dark blue?"

I bit my lip and looked at the dress, debating. It _was_ really dark- almost black, actually. And I had to admit that it was beautiful. It had a flattering empire waistline with a sweetheart top. The silk fabric flowed out under the bust to just above my knees, and it was nice and simple but still sweet.

"It's beautiful." I finally relented. Alice grinned, helping me step into the dress. Once it was on I turned towards the mirror again, looking at myself from different angles. I was pleased to see that I didn't look like a beached whale. Alice continued to move around me in a blur, brushing shimmery grey eye shadow on my eyelids, sweeping on mascara, lining my eyes with black liner, and painting my lips with blood red lip gloss.

As soon as she was satisfied with my makeup, she moved onto my hairstyle. I watched silently in the mirror as she transformed my hair into a slightly retro style- parted to the side with side pinned back behind my ear by a decorative clip. Alice had put some kind of product in my hair that made my hair curlier than usual- now, my curls are retro movie star worthy ringlets.

"Aw, Alice." I, of course, started to tear up as I saw the finished product in the mirror, but Alice just slapped my arm.

"Don't mess up your makeup." She said sternly, but then grinned and hugged me gently, not squeezing my belly to hard or putting too much pressure on it. "You look gorgeous, Bella, as always. Don't be insecure…Edward thinks you're beautiful, and so does everyone else."

I smile at her, and then Edward pokes his head in the room. "The car is here." He informs me, and then a smile overtook his face. "You look breathtaking." He said, stepping into the room. Edward was at my side immediately, kissing me gently and making my knees feel week.

After our kiss ended I looked him up and down, smiling stupidly. "You look very handsome." I whispered, running my hands down his chest. He was wearing a plain black suit, and it looked flawless on him. But that probably had something to do with the fact that he was flawless to me.

Alice broke up our little romance session, holding out two pairs of shoes towards me. "Can I talk you into a pair of low heels?" She asked, being gentler than normal.

I sighed and shook my head, reaching instead for the pair of embellished flat sandals she held. "My ankles will get way too swollen." I said by way of explanation. Edward immediately knelt to help me put my shoes on, making Alice coo.

"Jasper needs to learn a thing or two from you, Edward." She grumbled, only half joking.

"He treats you well, Alice, or he'd be hearing from Emmet and I." Edward retorted, and then got to his feet. "Now go on, I know you and Jasper have a date. Bella and I are going to be late if we don't get going."

…

"It's okay to be nervous, but you really don't need to be." Edward said as I nervously looked out the window of the limo.

"I know." I murmured, glancing at him. "You…you know how freaked out I get. It'll pass soon." I assured him, and Edward just nodded, reaching down and grabbing my hand. We were both quiet, and he just played with one of the charms on the bracelet he had given me.

"Two months." He suddenly whispered, and I nodded.

In some aspects it seemed to be far in the future, in others it seemed to be staring me straight in the face. "Yeah." I replied, brushing my fingertips over my stomach. "It seems soon, but it also seems far away." I added, voicing my previous thoughts. "I don't know how to be a mother, but I think I'll be okay."

Edward chuckled quietly, kissing my cheek. "I know you'll be okay. And I don't know how to be a father…but I think I'll be okay, too."

"You will be." I paused for a second, glancing out the window again. "How long until we get there?"

"Ten minutes, give or take a few." Edward said with a shrug. "Why?"

"You know my dad died when I was little." I stated, and Edward hesitated for a moment before nodding. "It was just…different to grow up without a father. All of my friends had fathers…they complained about their dad's rules for curfew and boys and makeup, but sometimes I just wished I had a dad to worry about me like that." I sighed, and Edward nuzzled his forehead against the side of my head. "I am so glad that you're here, so that our baby will have a father and know that kind of love."

…

**I'm sorry I had to cut it off there, but I must be going. Like, I'm ten minutes late for an engagement party (on a freaking Monday night!) and I'm not even dressed yet. So yeah…bye.**

**Please review! **

**OH, and I'm repeating this down here because idk if people read both A/N's if they do at all…is there anything you guys would like to see between Edward and Bella? Like…a certain thing you want them to talk about or do? Just let me know!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	28. Chapter 28

**Okay, so I have some questions to answer! If you have any questions while reading, please do not hesitate to ask. To answer some of the questions asked last chapter…**

**Yes, I'm going to finish this story =)**

**I'm trying to do longer chapters. My chapters are never going to be, like, 10,000 words, but they will be longer. This one is not going to be significantly longer, but it will be longer than usual and so will any future chapters. This chapter is just a filler, I want to update this again later in the week.**

**I don't want to reveal things that some of you don't want to know yet, so this is a SPOILER. No, Edward will not get sick. And they don't talk about it because…Edward doesn't want to talk about it. No hidden agenda, it's just a sensitive subject for him =)**

**I have a blog now. It has chapter teasers, and hopefully I'll eventually start putting up outfits or something up. I don't know, but here's the blog: www(dot)22lovelovelove22(dot)blogspot(dot)com**

…

BPOV

"Ugh I feel sick." I muttered, and Edward pressed his hand to the small of my back.

"It'll pass soon, love." He said, and I smiled gratefully. We were in sight of the theater that the movie was premiering in, but there was a line of cars creeping up to the entrance, so we had just been crawling forward. Edward, who was perfectly used to this already, was calm and collected. He craned his neck and looked out the window. "We're next."

My chest tightened up, but instead of letting me panic Edward leaned forward and gently kissed my temple, effectively calming me down a little. "There are going to be a lot of pictures, aren't there? And people? And questions?" I asked, practically breathless as I saw more and more people crowded around the red carpet that was now visible.

"Yes. But it's nothing, Bella. I won't let go of you." Edward promised, and then the car stopped for the final time. "Okay, are you ready?"

I nodded wordlessly and Edward kissed my cheek again before sliding out of the car and turning around, offering me his hand to help me out as well.

The noise and the atmosphere were overwhelming, but I managed not to falter. I held Edward's hand tightly in mine, refusing to let go of him even though I knew that he would also never let go of me. Immediately as we got out of the car the light of what looked like a million cameras nearly blinded me. I turned slightly, practically burying my face in Edward's shoulder for a moment.

We were met by a small women in a black dress suit and a headset, and she pushed us in the direction of the red carpet. "This is Amanda. She runs interference with reports and photographers." Edward's velvet voice was suddenly in my ear, making me relax just a tad bit more. "No one will get to us without going through her." I nodded and Edward quickly kissed my cheek before focusing his attention elsewhere.

I tried, I really did. I felt like I was getting better with this kind of stuff- posing, standing with good posture, answering questions, smiling- but it was still daunting. For a good half hour we stood and posed for pictures, just smiling and posing and trying to avoid our eyes drying up from all of the camera flashes that were going off in our faces. And during all of that, we dutifully followed Amanda from reporter to reporter. And somehow, they all seemed to ask the same questions. They wanted to know about our romance, our baby, our feelings for each other…they wanted to know personal stuff. But Edward was a pro- he came up with a thousand ways to rephrase the same answers into non-committal little blurbs.

Cameras and microphones were being shoved in our faces, but I couldn't bring myself to get any more worked up about it. Edward, true to his word, did not let go of me. At all times, his hand was on my back, holding mine, or he had his arm wrapped around my waist. The entire time I could feel the baby kicking wildly, probably because of all of the excitement, and that made it easier to smile as well.

As we continued to walk down the red carpet Edward kept me close to his side, holding me protectively. Every once in a while, he would lean down and whispered something in my ear, and that made me smile. He was trying his best to make this easier on me, and I appreciated that more than he would probably ever realize.

After what seemed like hours, we finally made it inside the theater for the screening. But the excitement still wasn't over. Irina made a beeline for us, instantly sweeping both of us up into a big hug.

"Aw, Bella, you look gorgeous! How many months until the baby is born?" She asked immediately after releasing Edward and I.

"Two." I said happily. "And thank you, Irina. You look really pretty too." I said, and Edward's fingers drew little circles across the side of my stomach. Obviously, he too could feel the baby kicking. "Congratulations on the premiere, by the way. It looks really good, I've been excited to see it." I said truthfully.

Irina smiled genuinely, and so did Edward. "Thanks, Bella. I'm pretty excited to see it myself. The three of us need to have lunch together ASAP- I miss hanging out with you on set, Edward, and I would really like to get to know Bella better."

"That sounds great." Edward said, and I nodded in agreement. "Just give me a call, yeah?"

"Definitely." Irina said, and then hugged us each again. "I'll see you at the after party!" She called over her shoulder, walking away.

"I like her." I said, and Edward laughed.

"Most people do." He said with a nod. "She's…easy to get along with. Easy going. Not like a lot of people I've worked with." I _hmmed _under my breath and glanced around, taking in my surroundings. "Do your feet hurt?" Edward suddenly asked. "Your ankles look kind of swollen."

I shrugged, because I couldn't look down at my feet to see for myself. "Kind of. But it's fine." I said, patting his chest.

"No, we can go sit down." Edward said insistently, and I just let him lead the way. Honestly, my feet were hurting a bit, and I wasn't saying anything because I didn't want to complain. For the last few months, Edward has done nothing but take care of me- and tonight his about him, it's his night. I want to do what _he_ wants to do.

Edward led us to our seats and made sure I was settled, and then kissed me on the lips. "You were great, Bella. Flawless and poised and beautiful." He assured me, and I couldn't help but smile. Even on this night, the premiere of his movie, he was putting me first. And that meant so much to me.

After several minutes the lights dimmed, and I couldn't help but start to get even more excited. I was attending an A-List Hollywood movie premiere. And even more importantly, the star of said movie was in love with me, and we were having a baby together. I was so proud of him, no matter what.

He didn't let go of my hand as the movie began; our joined hands settled on his lower thigh. His thumb made repeated swipes across the back of my knuckles, moving gently and slowly. The movie began, and I was honestly enraptured. It was romantic and dark and still funny, not to mention captivating. While I could hardly take my eyes off the screen, I noticed that Edward had the exact opposite reaction. I hadn't seen him glance at the screen once- his eyes were focused on our joined hands instead.

"You're not going watch?" I finally asked, my voice a strained whisper.

A slow smirk formed on Edward's face and he glanced up at me, shaking his head. "Can't watch myself, never have been able to. I think it's _weird._" He explained, and I could understand that.

It was weird hearing your own voice played back to you on recording or video, so it was probably a thousand times weirder to watch yourself in a movie.

…

"Hey." About halfway through the movie, Edward tugged on my hand.

"Yeah?" I ripped my eyes away from the screen and looked at Edward, feeling loved just by the way he smiled at me.

"I love you." He whispered, and that, knowing that he and I couldn't go an hour without saying "I love you" was what made me know that he was The One.

…

**Does anyone else smell wedding bells in the near future? Cause I sure do.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	29. Chapter 29

**Wow it feels like I haven't updated in like forever. But here's an update. These past few weeks I've been updating "Picture Perfect" mostly, as well as "Such Difference" and "We Have the Summer". Sadly, a few of my other stories are going to be deleted…I wish I had thought them through better, but they kind of fell through. I had more chapters written for some of this…but it just wouldn't have worked out very well. So "Commander in Chief" and "The Spectrum" will be gone soon. If anyone would like to continue either of these, I'm up for that, so let me know.**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter…there won't be all that many left because time starts to go by quickly in some parts.**

**Before we start…I am officially in love with Taylor Swift's CD. My favorites are "Dear John", "Better Than Revenge", "Last Kiss", "Ours", and "Innocent". What about you?**

…

BPOV

Edward's fingers tangled in my hair as we sat on the couch in the living room early the next morning, curled up around each other and enjoying the sweet silence. Unfortunately, that silence didn't last long.

"Bellllla! Edward!" Alice suddenly burst into the room, causing both Edward and I to groan loudly.

"Alice…can't you _knock_?" Edward asked, sounding extremely exasperated with his little sister. "Just because you have a key doesn't mean you can barge in whenever you want." Alice rolled her eyes, sitting down next to me on the couch. Edward and I both sat up, untangling our legs.

"God, you already sound like a parent," she sniped, but that made Edward smile and made me laugh.

Edward shifted slightly, pulling me on top of his lap. "Okay Alice, cut to the chase. What do you want?"

"I brought these!" Alice held up a stack of magazines, smiling brightly. "Come on, Edward, you know the routine. You guys have to look through these with me." She picked up the first magazine, showing us the cover. It was a shot of Edward and I on the Red Carpet, our arms wrapped around each other happily. "And all of these have _you_ in their best dressed photos, Bella." Alice shoved another couple of magazines into my arms, opening them up to the folded pages.

Sure enough, there I was. Smiling and looking natural and comfortable and _beautiful_, even though I had been terrified for a good part of the evening. "Wow," I managed, and Edward kissed the back of my head.

"You really did look great, Bella." Alice smiled at me, sweet and kind as always. "And you don't even look nervous."

"Thanks," I said with a little laugh, and Edward sighed as he glanced at the clock.

"Baby, I have that breakfast meeting this morning and I really need to get going. Are you going to be okay?" He asked, his hand resting on my tummy.

"I'll be fine," I assured him. "Besides, I'm guessing Alice will keep me company for a little while."

Alice laughed, clapping her hands together. "Of course I will!" Her smile grew, and she started spouting off ideas. "We could have mom and Rosalie come too, and work on a few finished touches of the nursery…and then go to brunch!"

"You guys have fun." Edward laughed quietly and kissed me on the lips, and then kissed my stomach. "I'll call you later, okay?'

"Yeah, okay. Be productive at your meeting."

Edward kissed me one last time and then walked away, looking at me over his shoulder before walking out the door.

"Bella…this might sound weird, but you have no idea how happy I am that you were the one there when my brother went to that bar." Alice grabbed my hand, startling me. "As far as I know, he hasn't done that kind of thing before. And from what he's told me about it…he just felt drawn to you. I'm glad you're such a wonderful person, and I'm so happy for you…the relationship you have with Edward is truly beautiful."

"Aww, Alice…" I reached out and hugged her, my eyes filling up with happy tears. "You're wonderful…getting to this point in Edward and I's relationship would have been much harder if you and the rest of your family hadn't been so nice about it."

Alice smiled at me and I smiled back, finally realizing what it was like to have a best friend and a sister.

…

One Month Later:

"Bella…I love you," Edward whispered, and a lazy smile spread across my face.

"I love you, too." My whispered pierced the darkness, and I felt Edward smile against the crook of my neck. We were lying in bed late Saturday morning, wrapped up in the sheets and wrapped up in each other.

Edward suddenly shifted beside me, sitting up and flicking on the lamp on the bedside table. "Really. I really love you," he said, and his voice was so serious that it kind of scared me. I looked at him, a little confused, and he continued to speak, taking my hand in his. "You and our baby are the best things that have ever happened to me. You've filled in the empty parts of my life and made everything so perfect…" he trailed off, a smile on his face. "Bella, will you marry me?"

I hadn't even fully digested what Edward was asking me when he held the ring out to me. It was beautiful, just like him. It sparkled in the faint light of our bedroom, throwing little flecks of light against the ceiling.

"Oh my god, Edward," I managed, exhaling loudly. "I love you…of course I'll marry you."

…

No one was surprised when we told them. Alice, Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, Emmet, and even Rosalie and my mom were ecstatically happy for us and wanted to do everything they could to help us out. The baby was due in a month, and now that Edward and I were actually engaged, we wanted to get married before he or she was born.

So two weeks before my due date, Edward and I were surrounded by our closest friends and family, exchanging vows. My feet were swollen and I felt fat and I wasn't intimidated by the one photographer, but it was still the most beautiful and most perfect wedding I could have ever imagined, because Edward was the one I was marrying.

It might have been a little rushed, but that didn't change the meaning of what we were doing…this was still our wedding. This was still us.

A year ago, Edward and I hadn't even known each other. A year ago, he had been a famous celebrity and I had been nothing but a lonely book editor that worked from home because she didn't want to be around a lot of people. We were both so different now…we were going to be parents, and that changed everything.

…

**Okay. There will be a couple more chapters left, but there are no promises on when they will be out! But I can say that I really, really, really want to finish this story before 2011. That's my main goal.**

**Please review, my dears. That would be great…especially since you guys have already left almost 900 wonderful, sweet, thoughtful reviews (for the most part). Thanks so much!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie**


	30. Chapter 30

**So…it's been a while since I've updated. I've got some pretty legit excuses but I'm not going to dwell on those. Oh, but btw, I've been impregnated once again so that's the main delay. Yay…**

**I just want to go on with the story. One more chapter after this one, and get ready for a nice and sappy Happily Ever After. I don't know when the last chapter will be up. Hopefully soon, but unfortunately I can make no promises. **

**Oh, and one last thing- please review! We are sooo unbelievably close to 1,000 reviews. I want to try and get there by the time the story is over…so please help me out! You guys have been amazing so far and I really appreciate it. Please keep it up!**

…

BPOV

"You're sure you'll be alright?" Edward asked, leaning down and kissing me softly on the lips before running his hand over my huge stomach.

"I'm sure," I said, smiling at my husband of exactly one week and four days. "Go on. Have fun and make sure to bring home one of those pretty shiny gold Oscar trophies, okay?" Edward still didn't look convinced, so I continued. "Honey, your mom is here in case anything happens. Baby and I will both be fine, and if you don't leave within the next two minutes you'll be later and Alice will murder us both."

Edward laughed, shaking his head as he kissed me one more time. Then he turned to Esme, who was sitting in a chair across the room, calmly reading a magazine. "Mom, take care of both of them. I'll have my cell phone on, and so will Alice."

"Okay, Edward," Esme said, getting up and kissing her son on the cheek before sitting down next to me on the couch. "I'll take good care of them, I promise."

"Thanks." Edward exhaled, checking his watch. "I've really got to go. I love all of you, and I'll see you late tonight."

I said goodbye quickly, not wanting to be the reason he was late to the biggest award show of the year. The Oscars were a big deal in Hollywood; especially for Edward because he was nominated for Best Actor. I was so insanely proud of him for even being nominated, and I really wished I could have been there with him to cheer him on. But I was only three days away from my due date and was in no condition to get all dolled up, be interviewed excessively, and to walk down the red carpet for roughly an hour.

That just wouldn't be happening.

Alice was more than happy to take my place as Edward's date- she was just as excited about her brother's accomplishment as a nominee and practically lived for all things having to do with the red carpet and the fashion that was exhibited there.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" Esme asked, interrupting my train of thought.

"My back is hurting more and my contractions are still only a little more than eight minutes apart," I confessed, "but I don't think anything will happen for a couple of hours. I just…I didn't want Edward to miss out on what is the most important event of his career, so far, just to sit in a hospital room for hours."

"I know, dear. But if your water breaks, I'm going to call him no matter what, award show be damned." Esme warned me. I started to laugh, but another contraction gripped me and I gasped instead, trying to breathe through the pain. "If your contractions start getting closer you'll have to go to the hospital." Esme added, looking down at me with concern. "Don't hold back, okay? There is nothing you can do to stop labor."

I nodded, taking a deep breath as the pain from the small contraction began to fade away. "Okay. But I still think we've got some time."

…

"Bella, really think we need to call Edward now." Esme checked her watch, making a face. "Your contractions are only six minutes apart."

"Okay." I stood up from the couch, only to groan loudly when I realized that my water had broken. "Call Edward, Esme. My water just broke." I said, looking down at myself. "Um, I'm just going to change and grab the suitcase and we can go to the hospital."

Instead of entering a full-on freak out mode, I was eerily calm. I slowly watched upstairs and shed my wet jeans, changing into a pair of leggings and one of Edward's long, baggy sweatshirts that managed to cover my huge stomach and still reach my mid-thigh.

I grabbed my suitcase, which had been packed and ready to go since last week, and headed back downstairs, only pausing once on the stairs as I felt another contraction hit.

Esme appeared at the bottom of the stairs, her phone pressed against her ear. Not speaking to me, she took my hand and led me out of the house and into the waiting car. Finally, she sighed and shut her phone. "Neither of them are answering their phones right now," she said softly, smoothing my hair down lovingly. "It's probably too loud there, so I'll try again in a couple of minutes."

I nodded, gritting my teeth in discomfort as the driver pulled the car out of the long driveway, away from the house and towards the hospital.

APOV

I watched my brother carefully, taking in his reaction as people screamed in excitement, shouted questions, and snapped hundreds upon hundreds of pictures of him. As usual, I was stunned at how easily he was able to take it all in…he seemed so at ease and so comfortable.

It was easy enough for me as well because I knew that these people weren't really interested in _me_, so I felt very little pressure. But I knew how much these kinds of things freaked Bella out, and I could sympathize with her because it was kind of scary. However, I still enjoyed the glitz and glamour and excitement.

"Looking good, big brother." I smiled up at Edward, and he laughed.

"I just want this to be over with," he whispered in my ear as we walked closer to the theater. "All of these interviewers are asking the same question."

"Tell me about it." I rolled my eyes playfully and made a kissy face. "They all want to know about you and _Bella_ and your wedding and your itty bitty baby's due date."

Edward laughed, but pinched my elbow hard. We both straightened up for more photos and interviews before we got to go inside and relax just a little bit.

Once we found our seats I reached into my clutch and retrieved my phone. "Um, Edward, mom tried to call me twice," I hissed in his ear, showing him the display on my phone.

"Crap." He fumbled for his phone, retrieving it from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. "Fuck…she called me three times and left a voicemail. Just a second…" He held the phone up to his ear and listened, his eyes widening. "Alice. Alice, oh my god, Bella's in labor."

I gaped at him, my eyes widening. "Are you serious? We have to go! You have to meet her at the hospital! Oh my god I can't believe this!" she hissed, trying to keep her voice down. Just as the both of us stood up and got ready to leave, Irina hurried over to us, pulling Edward into a hug.

"Oh, Edward, it's so good to see you! I haven't seen you or Bella since your wedding which, by the way, was beautiful! How is Bella doing? Is she-"

"Irina, I've got to go," he quickly interrupted his friend, grasping her hand tightly in his. "Bella is in labor…look, in the off chance that I actually win a fucking Oscar, which is like one in ten million, would you accept it for me?"

"Of course!" Irina exclaimed, pulling him into another tight hug. "Congratulations, Edward!"

Edward nodded and said my thanks before grabbing me by the hand and practically dragging me out of the back entrance of the theater while dialing Esme's number. "Mom? It's me. I just got your message, and Alice and I are on our way to the hospital now."

…

**Next chapter will be longer and not really an epilogue but just a final chapter…not totally sure.**

**Please review!**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie **


	31. Chapter 31

**This is it- it's officially the last chapter. As of right now, I have plans for one future-take in store for this Edward and Bella and their cute little family. I'm not sure when it will be done, but it shouldn't take too long and it won't be that long in substance, either. **

**This chapter seemed to take ages and ages to get done…I suppose I just kept getting stuck in really awkward places. But I finally got it done, and here it is. This final chapter is happy, fluffy, and 100% angst free. Because having a baby is a happy thing, of course. **

**I'm glad this is finally finished but I will definitely miss it. And as of right now, there are 989 reviews for this story…I'm really hoping to get to a 1,000. So please please please be amazingly awesome and leave a review.**

**Some stories I've been in love with lately: The Nighingale Journals by kimpy0464, Full Disclosure by Betty Smith, Starry Eyed Inside by Rochelle Allison, Doctor's Orders by mybluesky, and Fall to Ruin One Day by sleepyvalentina. They are all extremely wonderful and I think you will really enjoy them =)**

…

BPOV

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Esme asked, handing me a cup of ice chips.

"I'm okay," I said, gratefully taking the ice chips from my mother in law. "Did you get a hold of Edward or Alice?" I asked, clutching at my stomach as I felt another contraction hit. I breathed deeply and gritted my teeth until I finally felt the pain ebb away.

Esme nodded, and I instantly felt relieved. "Edward called me back and said that he and Alice are on the way."

I popped a couple of ice chips into my mouth, chewing loudly. "And did you call my mom?" I asked after I swallowed.

"Yes, sweetie. I called her while the doctor was in here with you, and she said that she would be here in a couple of hours," Esme assured me.

Originally, my mom had planned to stay with Edward and me for a week or two before my due date, but because of our quick wedding and spontaneous little honeymoon to southern California, that hadn't happened. And now, I was worried my mom wouldn't make it in time at all. However, I was even more worried about Edward making it on time. Realistically, I knew that labor would last for several more hours, but I still wanted him by my side throughout this whole ordeal. I also knew how horrendous traffic could be in Hollywood, especially during Oscar night.

"Okay, good. Thank you so much, Esme. I really appreciate you being here." The words I spoke to my mother in law were completely genuine because I already loved her like she was my own mother. She and Carlisle, not to mention the rest of Edward's family, had all been wonderfully supportive of us and our relationship.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be, Bella. You're about to bring my first grandchild into the world, and I couldn't be happier about it. Your relationship with my son is beautiful…and I am so proud of you both."

"Thank you," I said simply, not sure what else I could say that was eloquent enough.

Esme smiled at me, running her fingers through my hair, which was already slightly sweaty. "Edward and Alice will be here soon, so-"

She was interrupted as the door to my hospital room flew open and suddenly Edward was there, looking deliciously handsome in his tuxedo. He was at my side in a split second, kissing the top of my head and resting his hand on top of my belly. "Is everything okay? I didn't miss anything, did I?"

Before I could respond he kissed me full on the lips, desperate and loving.

Esme spoke for me as our kiss ended, "Everything is fine. Her contractions are five minutes apart and she's doing great."

"Good. That's good." Edward was visibly frazzled, tucking my blankets in around me and smoothing them down. "You're sure you're okay?" He asked again, this time directing the question at me.

"I'm sure. Its fine, Edward, I just-" I stopped in the middle of the sentence as another contraction rolled through my body and reached for Edward's hand, squeezing tightly. "I just hate these stupid contractions," I managed to say through my gritting teeth. I breathed heavily through my nose, and was finally able to relax as the pain eventually dropped off.

"I'm sorry you had to leave the award show," I whispered apologetically, causing both Edward and Esme to laugh.

"Bella, I don't give a crap about an awards show, especially when my wife is about to give me the greatest honor in the world." Edward kissed my forehead again, his lips soft and cool against my overheated skin. "Even if I were to actually to win an Oscar tonight, it wouldn't matter if I were there to accept it or not," he added as an afterthought.

"Where's Alice, Edward?" Esme asked, and it was just then that I realized my sister in law had not come into the room with Edward.

Edward glanced at his mother, who was seated at the edge of my hospital bed. "I got dropped off at the door, and she went back to the house to garb me a change of clothes."

"Oh, dear, I wish I had thought of that before…I could have brought some along with us." Esme pouted, but then quickly recovered. "We should watch the Oscars!" She exclaimed, and before Edward or I could say anything she had grabbed the remote to the television that was mounted up in the corner and turned it on. "Good, it's just now starting; we haven't missed anything."

"Mom, we really don't have to watch this," Edward said, reaching for the remote. But Esme snatched it away, scowling at her son. "Okay, okay." Edward held his hands up in surrender, and then sat back down next to me on the edge of the hospital bed.

The next half hour was fairly uneventful- contractions came and went and we all continued to watch the Oscars. Alice had shown up with a change of clothes for Edward, but then quickly left to go have dinner with the rest of the family. After their dinner, all of the Cullen's would be camped out in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Edward and I's child.

When I was dilated seven centimeters and my contractions were three minutes apart, it was time for the winner of Best Actor to be announced. A graceful, beautiful woman took the stage and even though I felt completely awful and unattractive and wanted nothing more than for my child to be born, I put all of my focus on the television. Thanks to the epidural I had just received, that was a lot easier.

Esme, Edward, and I were all quiet as the famous actress read off the list of the actors that were nominated. It seemed like hours were passing as she ripped open the envelope containing the name of the Oscar winner, when it was really only a few seconds. And then time was passing all too quickly again, and suddenly my husband was an Oscar winner.

The grin on all of our faces was huge, and Esme pulled Edward into a big hug before releasing him so that he could give me a big kiss on the lips. "I'm so proud of you, Edward," I whispered, trying to focus on the screen even though I was having another contraction.

Through the pain and swearing I managed to see Irina go up on the stage to accept the Oscar for Edward, and say a few words on his behalf. "Edward, my good friend and cast mate, couldn't be here to accept this great honor…he _was _here, but his wonderful wife Bella went into labor and obviously that's a lot more important. But I know Edward greatly appreciates this, so thank you to everyone that played a part in this."

After Irina walked off the stage, Esme turned the television off and turned to Edward and me with a huge smile on her face. "This is so exciting!" she gushed, kissing Edward's cheek and then mine. "Your baby is being born _and _you just won an Oscar. Could this get any better?"

"I don't think so, mom." Edward laughed, hugging his mom again.

The next hour was another uneventful one, except for the fact that my contractions were coming closer together and seemed even more painful, which I thought was impossible. A check from my doctor confirmed that I was ten centimeters dilated and our child was ready to be born.

Childbirth is not pretty. It is messy, painful, and actually downright disgusting. But in the end, we all get something beautiful out of it. Adrianna Mallory Cullen was born at 11:15 in the evening, after eight hours of labor. She was a little tiny, but perfect nonetheless. I cried as she was being born, more out of joy than out of pain, and cried even harder when I saw the look on Edward's face as he cut the umbilical cord.

Edward placed our daughter in my arms after she was checked over by the nurse, and the tears came even faster. She felt absolutely perfect. Edward's lips were gentle on mine as he kissed me, and there were tears of joy in his green eyes.

"Thank you, Bella. She's…perfect. Look, I counted all of her fingers and toes and she's got the most beautiful curly brown hair." He gently pulled Adrianna's little pink hat off and showed me the thick brown curls on the top of her head. "I love you," Edward whispered, and I knew he was talking to both of us.

…

**Like I said, there is a future take (which will be partly from Edward's point of view as well as Bella's) still to come. Not sure when…I need to do the outtake of Such Difference first, and then this one will be published.**

**Thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews. You guys are incredible, and I would have never been able to finish this story without all of the support I've been given. Thanks again.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie **


	32. Chapter 32

**Here is the future-take. Once again, thank you for the never ending support that you've been giving from the beginning of this story…it means a lot to me and it has gotten me through some pretty tough writer's block.**

**This story has gotten 1,068 reviews over the past year and it has been awesome. Please continue to review if you would be so kind.**

**And I hope you enjoy this. It may seem like the end isn't really an ending, up I assure you it is. The ride is over for this cute little family, although I am going to miss cryptic Edward and emotional Bella.**

…

EPOV

"How are my girls doing today?" I asked, peering into Adrianna's crib and stroking her soft cheek with my index finger before going over to the bed and kissing Bella gently on the lips.

She smiled at me, patting the space night to her on the bed. "We're good," she said as I climbed into bed with her. "Adrianna was pretty fussy but she's calm now and she should fall asleep soon unless-"

As if on cue, Adrianna began to whimper, the pathetic little sound pulling at my heartstrings. She was only three months old now, and she definitely had been wrapped around her tiny little finger.

Bella groaned and began to get up out of the bed, but I quickly stopped her. "No, no, no. You've been busy all day, I can handle this." I got out of bed and hurried to Adrianna's crib, picking her up and smiling lovingly at her. I couldn't help but grin at her, totally in love with my beautiful daughter. She looked so much like Bella, and more so with every passing day. They had the same dark brown curls and heart shaped face, but Adrianna had my green eyes and nose. I loved seeing both Bella and I in our daughter, marveling at how she could look like a perfect split between the two of us.

"What are you crying about, baby girl?" I cooed at my daughter, cradling her against my chest as I crawled back into bed next to Bella, who was smiling lazily.

"She's hungry," Bella sighed, and I reluctantly handed Adrianna over. I watched as Bella pushed her shirt to the side and began to feed our daughter. It was something that I definitely couldn't do, but I tried to make up for it by changing more than my fair share of diapers and by doting on my daughter whenever I could.

I always felt a little guilty for spending so much time out doing press and promotional things for my next movie while Bella was home with Adrianna, but Bella assured me that it was fine. However, I was still always anxious to return to both of my girls at the end of the day.

"How was your day?" Bella asked softly, her eyes glued to Adrianna as she nursed.

"Busy," I sighed, running one of my hands through my hair. "I couldn't wait to get back home to you two."

Bella smiled at me, reaching over and cupping my cheek with her hand. "We missed you, too. Are you going to be home tomorrow, or working?"

I groaned, shaking my head. "I have to be at my manager's office at eight in the morning to go over some boring stuff, and then I am supposed to go have lunch with Irina, remember?" I hesitated, glancing up at my wife. "Are you sure you don't want to come along with us? Irina invited you too, and I would love to have lunch with you."

She sighed, pursing her lips. "I would, but I don't want to leave Adrianna…"

"My mom would watch Adrianna," I pointed out. "So would Alice or Rosalie if you asked them to."

"I know," Bella said, shifting Adrianna slightly in her arms. "But I just don't want to leave her."

"You could always bring her along." I should have known Bella wouldn't want to leave the baby, and I understood that. But I didn't know of any reason for Bella not to bring Adrianna out with her. "It wouldn't be a problem baby. A restaurant like the Ivy will probably have a sitting room in the women's bathroom so you can nurse Adrianna if you need to, and it won't be a very long lunch. Plus, I know Irina would love to see the baby again."

Bella bit her lip, gazing down at our daughter again. "Okay…" she said reluctantly.

"Great. I'll pick the two of you up around eleven, okay? And then we can have lunch together."

"Sounds good."

I leaned over to kiss Bella on the lips, careful not to disturb Adrianna as she nursed.

This past month had been wonderful, but I still couldn't wait to make the next step with my family by my side.

…

"I hope there aren't any photographers hanging around," Bella said worriedly as she climbed into the backseat of the car. I had just come to pick her and Adrianna up for lunch, and Bella was visibly nervous. I left the driver alone in the front seat and climbed into the back, helping Bella put Adrianna into her pink car seat.

"It'll be okay," I said soothingly, taking Bella's hand after the car was in motion and we were all secured by our seatbelts. "I'll hold her, okay? I'll never let anything happen to her."

Bella smiled slightly, squeezing my hand tightly. "I know. Thank you. I just…I don't want her to get scared."

"I know." I looked at Bella, a smile overtake my face. "You look beautiful, by the way." It was true- she looked simple and natural in a black sundress and a pair of sandals with just a little bit of makeup.

"Thank you." Bella blushed, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "And look, Adrianna and I match." I laughed, because it was true. Our daughter was wearing a grey and black striped dress and a pair of sandals that looked just like Bella's. "Both pairs of sandals were a gift from Alice," Bella added.

"I figured as much. You both look wonderful. I have too very beautiful girls in my life…I don't know what I'm going to do when the male suitors come looking for Adrianna."

Bella shuddered, shaking her head. "Neither do I, baby. We'll just have to keep taking this one step at a time."

…

There were a few paparazzi milling around the Ivy as the three of us got out of the car, but luckily they took pictures from afar and didn't come too close. I still held Adrianna tightly in one arm and held Bella's hand in my own, letting Bella know that everything was going to be just fine.

We were instead the restaurant and seated in no time, and Irina was all over Bella and Adrianna.

"Oh my God, guys, she gets more adorable every single time I see her!" Irina squealed happily as I let her hold Adrianna. "Oh…hi, Adrianna," she cooed, tickling her belly. "I've missed you, pretty baby…so precious." Irina continued to coo at the baby while we ordered our meals, and Bella was quickly becoming relaxed.

Our food came and Irina handed Adrianna over to Bella, who expertly held her in one arm and ate at the same time. The conversation was light, and I was glad that the three of us could have a nice lunch with a family friend with no problems.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" Irina asked, taking a sip of the white wine she was having with her lunch.

"Oh, I'm feeling a lot better," Bella said optimistically. "Esme and Alice both been helping me out, and so has Rosalie. I'm still tired of course, but it's getting easier, especially with Edward helping out so much."

Irina laughed, nodding her head. "I always knew you and Edward would make fantastic parents. And you've also made the most fantastic baby…so it makes sense."

"Thanks, Irina," Bella said, her eyes a little watery. "That means a lot to me- to both of us." I nodded in agreement, and before anyone could say anything else, Adrianna started crying. "Oh, I'm sorry," Bella apologized, standing up from the table. "I'm going to go and feed her really quick."

"Alright, baby." I stood and kissed each of their foreheads, and when I sat back down at the table, Irina was grinning at me coyly. "What?" I asked, kicking her leg gently underneath the table.

"Don't 'what?' me, Edward," Irina laughed, kicking me back. "I'm just really happy for you. Tanya dumped a lot of shit on your life…but here you are, happier than you've ever been with your soul-mate at your side, not to mention a brand new daughter." She paused for a second, and then lowered her voice. "Have you seen her since then? I mean…since you broke up?"

I shook my head quickly, gritting my teeth. "No. I haven't. And I don't want to, either. I have everything I could ever want or need now…I don't want my life to be tainted by her presence."

Irina bit her lip, taking another sip of her wine. "Well, I saw her last week. She teaches a yoga class where I take pilates, and I guess her class was done early and she walked into the locker room while I was in there." Irina paused again, looking thoughtful. "She didn't look very happy. Definitely not as happy as you are with Bella."

"That's too bad," I said mildly. Irina raised her eyebrows in disbelief, and I sighed. "I don't care about her enough to hate her anymore, Irina. She's done, gone, out of my life for good. That's it."

Our conversation moved to light topics, and by the time Bella returned with a sleeping Adrianna twenty minutes later, Tanya was forgotten.

BPOV, Two Months Later:

"Hey Edward, it's me. I was going to stay home today with Adrianna after I got my work done, but I finished the manuscript I was reading and then your mom asked if she could have Adrianna. Long story short, Adrianna is at your parent's house and I think I'm going to go take a yoga class at that place Irina is always talking about. I'll probably be home before you, but if I'm not, could you please pick Adrianna up and bring her home? Thanks, baby. I love you."

I placed my cell phone back in my purse, and slipped my sunglasses on over my eyes.

Even though Adrianna was five months old now, I still missed her whenever Alice, Rosalie, Esme, or anyone else would babysit her for the day. I worked solely from home now, and I loved being around my baby all the time.

But I wasn't going to lie- it would be nice to have a relaxing day out of the house. I had just started doing yoga, and I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed it. It was very calming for me, and had helped me to lose the last few pounds of my pregnancy waist and to tone my body.

I walked into the studio in LA, and was relieved that no one had tried to approach me or photograph me. I didn't understand it- I definitely wasn't the famous one, Edward was- but I was still getting used to it and adjusting.

The yoga class wasn't very busy, and the instructor was very hands on. I could tell she was a very beautiful woman, but she only smiled once or twice, and it definitely didn't seem very genuine when she did. I couldn't help but wonder by this woman was so unhappy, but of course it wasn't any of my business.

After the class was over, the instructor stopped me on my way out of the room.

"Hi. I noticed that you were new to my class…did you enjoy yourself?" There was an odd look on her face that couldn't really be classified as a smile but wasn't a frown…it was somewhere in between.

"Oh, it was great," I said enthusiastically. "I just picked up yoga after my daughter was born, and I really enjoy it."

"That's good. I'm sorry, but what was your name again?" She asked, actually looking interested.

I laughed, realizing my bad manners. "I'm Bella Cullen. And you are?"

The woman's half-smile faltered immediately, and I saw a blush creep up on her cheeks. "Oh. Um, I'm Tanya Richardson."

And suddenly everything clicked into place. "Oh," I murmured, looking into the woman's eyes. "You…you know my husband, don't you? Or at least you used to."

She nodded. "Yes. I know this isn't my place, but how is he?"

"He's fine," I snapped, taking a step back. "And you're right, it really _isn't _your place. You hurt him. You jeopardized my relationship with him…and you just-"

"I know." She interrupted me quickly, holding her hand up. "I deserve that. But…I am sorry. He knows that, right?"

"I have no idea," I said stiffly.

"Okay. Can you tell him, please? Please just tell him that I'm sorry. He doesn't have to accept it or believe it, but I just want him to know."

I softened just a little bit, still frowning slightly. "Okay. I will."

"Thank you."

And it was that simple- more closure.

I told Edward about my encounter with his ex-lover, and his reaction was nothing like I expected it to be.

I was sitting at the edge of our bed, rubbing lotion on my legs. Edward was lying back on the bed with Adrianna sleeping on his chest, her tiny little head tucked underneath Edward's chin. His hand was running up and down her back as she slept; his eyes half closed and his expression one of complete happiness.

"I saw someone today at my yoga class," I began softly, gently placing my hand on Edward's knee. He quickly sat up, resting on his forearms, trying not to disturb Adrianna as she continued to sleep. "Tanya," I whispered. "She was my yoga instructor. I saw her and talked to her, and she told me who she was…and to tell you that's she's sorry."

Edward stared at me, his green eyes wide and unreadable. "I forgot that she worked there…Irina told me a few months ago." He hesitated, his eyes never leaving mine. "I'm done with her, Bella. I broke up with her years ago, and I honestly never want to be with her again. I never want to be with any other woman than you ever again."

"I know." I smiled, crawling up to the head of the bed. I cupped his face with my hands, kissing him firmly on the lips. Adrianna stirred slightly in his arms, but didn't wake up. "I love you, baby."

"I love you, too." Edward kissed me again, and then looked down at Adrianna. "I'm going to put her to bed, okay?"

Nodding, I slipped under the covers of our bed. "Okay. And then when you get back…maybe we can start trying for baby number two."

Halfway across the room, Edward stopped and turned around to face me, grinning widely. "Are you serious?" He asked, and I laughed, nodding my head. "Wow. I'm not going to lie...it seems a little quick. I mean, Adrianna is only five months old." Edward paused, and laughed loudly. "But who am I kidding? I can't wait to have more kids with you."

He was back from putting Adrianna to bed in the yellow nursery in five minutes, and he shed his clothes on his way over to the bed.

"Well, hello there, husband," I teased, climbing on top of him after he got into bed. Edward gently pulled my nightgown up over my head, dropping it to the floor.

"You get more beautiful with every passing day, Bella," Edward whispered, his fingers slipping inside of me. I arched my back and Edward rolled us both over so that he was on top of me. He hovered over me, the warmth of his body making me feel safe and loved as always. "Shh…" he soothed me as I moaned loudly, getting closer and closer to climax.

Right before his fingers brought me over the edge, he slid himself inside of me. I called out loudly, tremors running through my body as I found my release quickly. His ministrations to my body always made me fall apart like this, and I craved it and loved him even more for it.

That night, we loved each other the way we needed to. That night, we held up the wonderful connection between us and managed to become even closer. That night, our son Anthony was conceived and we moved on to the next stage of our life together.

…

**The end.**

**Please review, let me know what you thought.**

**Xoxo- Melodyella aka Mellie **


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